SHIELD Academy: Loki Hates People
by Blueberry01120
Summary: SHIELD Academy is one of the top schools in the nation, but the students are even more colorful. Loki makes "friends"—using that term flexibly—fast, and that's all great except his new stepbrother built like the Norse god he's named for has made him into the lusting teenage boy he, composed and controlled, once laughed at. Modern High School AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** You might've read this before I deleted it because it was totally naff. Since then, I went back and edited and all that good stuff because I'm writing more than I had even then after people asking me to send it to them on AO3. Same-ish story line but different lead up and more in-character actions.

1. Loki Laufeyson: Lonely Loser?!

Loki hates people, and if that is a sweeping generalization well then it also happens to be the truth.

He truly does.

They're irritatingly ignorant and oh so judgmental of things that they don't understand which usually leads to them lashing out to try and make themselves feel better. It's why he avoids strangers and prefers solitude to conversation.

It's why he's so misunderstood. People automatically assume that Loki is just a snob—he isn't snobby, merely particular as he has right to be—because he would rather have stimulating conversation instead of jeering about opposing sports teams or inane topics of that sort.

He's not saying that he's _deep_—though he does not rebuke philosophical thought. He simply prefers to converse with those who have some depth to them, people who are more than what they look like.

If only more people thought like that. Perhaps then he wouldn't have to reign in his more eccentric behaviors to not offend those who are too afraid to broaden their horizons.

Home. That was always—for nearly the past decade at least—where he could do what he wanted without worrying about some hulk with a bone to pick with him because he looks like a "fag," lean muscle where they're bulky, long hair where theirs is hacked close to the scalp.

Now, however, there will be a hulk under his roof. That's probably not even the right word to describe _him_, all muscles that are large but not obnoxiously large and height that compliments those muscles.

Hm, those muscles that Loki shall see on a regular basis.

"Loki, there's no need to be so worried," his mother says when they get into the car.

He slept the entire eight hours from Sweden to New York since it was either that or have his mother prod him every few seconds to point at pictures of their new house—a brownstone as they referred to it in _Sex and the City_—and ask whether "X" should be hung there.

"I'm not worried, Mother," he replies. American drivers do not have a good international reputation. "I'm actually absolutely fine if you notice."

The sky above is pale blue and cloudless whereas Stockholm's was perpetually blanketed.

"I know, Loki, but I also know that you're you. You don't do well with change."

"I've managed fine in the past."

A thousand miles from home and she continues to apply her opinions to Loki as if they're fact. He didn't do well with change when he was five years old, but that was 11 years ago and things were far different then. He lived in relative discontent and had two not-so-loving parents.

His mother's change was one he was fortunate for.

He leans on his arm.

America looks like it did in the pictures, in movies and TV shows Loki's seen, and it's not any more impressive in person. It's just buildings and cars, nothing that remarkable.

However cynical it sounds, America shouldn't even considered a place that people move to on purpose—exhibit A: his mother and B: that husband of hers Odin. They're an economic powerhouse, yes, but societally, they're very, very behind.

Back in Sweden, life was progressive in comparison to most first world countries, United States included, and even there he often found himself wishing that it were more socially liberal.

The sparse, low-built buildings turn into glass spires that stretch so high above that he must tilt his head back to spot the blips of their ends, and most of the vehicles on the road have become yellow, emblazoned with the "Yellow Taxi Cab" and black and white checker pattern often in the background of Carrie Bradshaw's romps.

_Sex and the City_ was no Shakespearean masterpiece of television, but Sigyn, dear Sigyn across the ocean, yearned for their stuffed closets and Loki found their heterosexual female-centric miseries entertaining enough. It's been far more helpful than most things since he's going to now be a… New Yorker.

His predecessors walk the crowded, milling sidewalks with phones pressed to their ears and disdain for the world clear on their faces.

He should fit in here far more easily than he did back home.

His mother parks amidst lines and lines of luxury cars—Odin is wealthy too, wealthier—and grins like a madwoman as she steps out. Good, she's happy while he laments life. What a great mother.

Their brownstone looks as it did in the pictures, red brick and black steel, three flights high and three windows and a door across. It's nice, he'll admit that, but it's not _his_ house, the Victorian manor in blues, grays, and blacks.

Outside of the car, air smells of exhaust, so city-like in everything from scent to sound, engines passing down the street where a main avenue—Park Avenue—runs by. Here, city life is amplified and shoved into an American shell.

He goes up the steps and into the door his mother had half the mind to leave open for him, which is surprising since she's seemed to have had no problem forgetting him the past few months—two years, she and Odin have been dating for two years before their whirlwind elopement.

Inside it's overcompensating and modern and _American_, and Loki peers into the archway that turns out to lead into some sitting room already furnished. He makes a sound of derision before stepping back into the foyer.

Voices come drift from the entry way into the kitchen.

Loki's had enough human interaction in that chaos American's call an airport, so with what patience has left for not only his mother but this new "family" of theirs, he scales the stairs.

His belongings have been unpacked into the exact same arrangement as they were back home though in the smaller bedroom—"But the house is absolutely wonderful, Loki. Far better than this one!"—there were compromises Loki of course had no say in made.

It's probably some kind of peace offering from his mother or even that husband of hers, but Loki sees right through it. Somewhere, something is in the wrong position, and he'll find it and casually slip it into conversation to see her happiness gone and have guilt replace it.

These walls are papered in bare white in contrast to the evergreen they were back home though they painting the ceiling in the olive green of his bedspread.

Someone, someone unlikely to be his mother, was in his room to scrutinize everything enough to make sure that they got it right.

Some idiots say that privacy is only for those who have something to hide.

Loki disagrees. He enjoys his privacy because he hates when others know things about him without his consent. Really, it's a control thing, and Loki admits that. When people know things out of your control, shortly things go to hell.

It's like those tabloid celebrities who are followed everywhere, every single move of theirs documented for the world to see. If it were him, their lives would be a living hell in return.

"Loki."

He spins to the door and _he's _there.

Thor, his new step-brother, who he knows absolutely nothing about other than he looks like some kind of Olympian with his massive biceps and triceps and pectorals that make his shirts fit perfectly.

They've spoken less than ten sentences to each other—if Thor's one word statements can be countered as much—in the two years they've known of each other. Thor with his aura of gold and red like autumn sunshine, how it irritates Loki.

Red and gold and green do not mix.

He stares at Thor like the interloper he is, one sneaker toe just over the threshold of Loki's door and his hands braced on the doorframe. He takes up the entire space, and Loki, satisfactorily six feet and two inches in the American's imperial measurement, has rarely felt dwarfed. Thor father's the same though not as tall or muscled since he is an old man.

The Odinson genes breed hulks.

"I see you have arrived safely," he says, small talk as always and in Swedish. "My father and I have been waiting for hours."

"There's no need to speak Swedish, Thor. We're"—he swallows—"home."

The truth to the words almost make him wretch. New York City in America, his new home.

Thor smiles at him, full lips parting to flash brilliant white teeth and the corners of his blue eyes crinkling, and Loki can hardly believe that his blood begins to migrate downward. Thor is… attractive, extremely attractive in ways that Loki has never witnessed in all of the men, young and old, he's seen, but Thor is pedestrian.

He is blond and muscled and stupid, and everyone he's ever met thinks he's attractive. Loki has never been part of "everyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he says in his English, accented like Loki's. "I didn't want to seem too familiar to you. My father says that it's a problem of mine. It makes people uncomfortable."

His familiarity isn't likely what makes people uncomfortable.

"He's right about that," Loki mumbles under his breath. "Is there anything you need?"

He could use some alone time right now, away from Thor.

"No, I was just dropping by to say hi." His smile falters surely at the look on Loki's face. "If you need anything, I'm down the hall," he replies, pointing to his right. "See you at dinner?"

Loki goes to the door and nods. "Maybe," he replies.

He closes the door and locks it and wills away the beginning hard-on.

If Thor is going to be like that all of the time, Loki knows that their relationship is not going far. He's obviously charismatic as are all attractive people, and that'll do him good when they start school, but at home, it will only dig him deeper into the hole he's already created.

It's not like Loki even has to befriend Thor. He'll be off to college at the end of the year, and Loki will have the house to himself.

Adjusting to a new school… he doesn't even want to think about that right now.

The destructive, spiteful part of Loki's that's been fed with recent events urges him to make a mess of their first dinner as a "family," pull out the old tricks from those family dinners consisting of his insufferable extended relatives and their oh so important judgments of the life his mother lived where someone's fork might mysteriously end up under their ass when they're retaking their seats or that thing that Loki overheard his aunts say might slip from his mouth.

When they've happened in recent times, it's been less forks stabbing asses and more subtly stoking the conflict that pervades his mother's family. Thor and Odin, how simple-minded they are, wouldn't know until their gold skin was red and they were screaming at each other.

"Loki, good to see you looking well," Odin says, his lone eye tracking Loki as he sits.

He hasn't seen Odin since he laid a kiss on his mother's cheek and waved goodbye to him at their old home, Loki only staring at him in return. The transition from his mother's boyfriend to husband hasn't been completely reconciled in how Loki supposes he should view him, mostly at Loki's discretion.

It's ridiculous that his mother even had a boyfriend, and he told her so, earning him a glare and the silent treatment until his mother realized that he was not going to be the one to acquiesce.

He never acquiesces.

His manners take over, and he replies, "Thank you."

Keeping your enemies close is a motto that Loki has always lived by. It's done him well in regard to close-minded nitwits as have the facades and masks he prefers life behind.

Odin grins, a hint of white teeth between his white facial hair. "Thor came up there earlier and told you that we were happy that you're here. You probably think that he was simply being nice, but he meant it. We mean it, Loki. We're happy to have such a bright young man like you as a part of our family. Thor's always wanted a brother," he says. "He's ecstatic that he has one."

"Well… the feeling is acquired with time I guess," Loki replies.

"Yes, yes, you and Thor are very different people. Having different outlooks on this can be expected," he replies. "I do not think that Thor blames you for your hesitation at all. He understands that his reaction to this entire situation is rare. Many people feel the same way as you do, Loki. Your entire world has changed, so understandably, you are going to be closed off to the change. I do hope that you will give us a chance. We are grateful to have you in our lives, and eventually, we hope that you will feel the same."

Loki isn't closed off to the change. He's closed off to his mother marrying him and uprooting him with only a warning two weeks before. If she had consulted him in dating Odin in the first place, he would be thrilled with whatever outcome had resulted.

He definitely would not be here.

Thor drops into the seat beside Loki, and his shoulder, beneath the cotton of his shirt, brushes Loki's and Loki nearly flinches at the surge of heat, unnaturally hot for any functioning human being. "Sorry, I'm late. I was talking to Volstagg."

Volstagg, Loki can imagine the boy that name belongs to, a hulk of Thor's sort who shouts his words and eats with his mouth open.

Thor fortunately doesn't. He eats a lot however which is no surprise since muscles are not made from thin air.

His mother goes on and on about how Loki needs to try the food here and how she and Odin—always "Odin and I"—will make it their goal to try everything, and Loki chews his food, simple Swedish food, and nods when an answer is expected.

Thor nudges him with his elbow, hot like the rest of him, and says, "We could do that too, and I'll eat what you don't," in a friendly tone that shocks Loki by virtue of how genuine it manages to sound.

Loki lies, enjoys lying more than most would approve of, but other people lie a lot too.

Thor's lies are likely focused on the parties he and his hulk friends sneak off to on school nights to get their hands on as many girls as they can.

He offers Thor a smile that's a mere curve of his lips, and gods is he relieved when he falls onto the familiar textures of his bed without Thor there to grin and be astoundingly sexy.

'Sexy.' Thor is sexy.

It bothers him sitting beside Thor at breakfast the next morning with Thor unaware that the flex of his bicep as he brings his fork to his mouth and dart of his tongue across his lips to catch a stray drop of syrup may be the some of the sexiest things that Loki has witnessed. Thor is nice, nice in a way that Loki's come to realize Thor is to everyone, and Loki is polite in return because Thor's face does a gorgeous thing when he's happy.

It's a misfortune how quickly Loki's fallen victim to Thor's appearance given Thor's proximity and how prohibited Loki is from attempting anything untoward.

And Thor is stupid, not stupid as some deep-pocketed peers who skirted into his lesser advanced classes, but stupid as in less smart than Loki. Skurge Banivarsson, the hulk to end all hulks, was stupid and sexy, and where did that end Loki?

Absolutely nowhere save confident that even the most macho and seemingly straight of men can be talented on their knees, begging for every drop.

Thor on his knees doing anything but tying Loki's shoes for him is and shall always remain fantasy. Loki is a realist about these situations, and while his cock may scramble to point to the ceiling when Thor is in the vicinity simply existing, he wouldn't do more than turn on his heel and flee if the opportunity presented itself, flee because Loki's mind does not always agree with his body.

He's a teenaged boy, and he may have escaped many of the usual woes, but his reptilian brain retains its stronghold.

Thor Odinson is just fodder for hard-ons.

Monday morning, Loki is woken up by the blaring of his alarm, but he quickly makes sure to hit the snooze button. And each following time it goes off.

Something soft strikes his back, and Loki groggily mumbles into his pillow, closing his eyes tighter as if that will help him go back to sleep. Again, the softness strikes him, but this time, Loki opens his eyes and stares into the darkness, finding nothing there. His eyes shut again, and he prepares to get hit by the softness, but instead, he is exposed to the cold air around him as the blanket is dragged away. He retreats into a fetal position, hugging his knees to his chest, and opens his eyes to yell at whoever keeps hitting him.

"Loki, get up," a voice drawls, and he recognizes it as Thor, sounding as sleepy as Loki feels. "Get up now. You're not going to have time to eat breakfast."

"I don't need breakfast, Thor," he replies. "I need more sleep."

"It's the most important meal of the day. Get up." And without any warning, the room is flooded with light.

Loki shuts his eyes, but it's no use. His eyes are already burning, and he sees purple spots all around his vision. "I hate you," he says, holding his eyes with palms. "You are truly evil."

There's a chuckle from the doorway. "Okay, Loki. Get up and get ready."

He opens his eyes and slides out of the bed. It's no use in just lying there. He can't go to sleep with the light on like that, and he's too disgruntled to go to sleep anyway. The only thing to look forward to is the shower.

As the water runs over his head, he reaches down a soaped hand and relieves himself of the hard-on, shutting his eyes hard enough so he can only concentrate on how the water feels hitting his scalp. When he first used the shower on Saturday, he made the mistake of getting _too_ relaxed, and the image that flooded his mind—blond, muscles, blond, more muscles—made him come down from his post-jerkoff haze hard and fast.

Even if an image slips in, Loki schools himself by thinking of Thor calling him "Brother" as he's taken to. He and Thor are not brothers and nor will they ever be, but it succeeds in warding off the thoughts.

If Thor were to look at him with those eyes, he'd let his deed slip and how he'd very much like to repeat it though with Thor and earn himself a beating that some unfortunate souls have received from Thor because all hulks have that violence inside them, nice or not, and a plane ticket to go live with an aunt—Fenia if he's unlucky enough. He'll be damned if he's enduring his cousin Fridleif the sociopath and "Your mother should have done this…" for _that_.

He grabs the SHIELD blazer from his closet. What point is there in wearing a blazer if it wasn't a part of a whole uniform? Maybe it's an American thing.

He shrugs on his blazer over his dark green Henley and glances at himself in the mirror. The blazer's navy blue and on the left breast lies the school logo, the bird surrounded by the words "SHIELD Academy of Greater New York" massive and clearly visible.

As he descends the stairs, he considers that this SHIELD is a private school funded by the military and that the endowment they get is huge because of some of the students' deep-pocketed parents. He doesn't even want to think about what they'll be like because the thoughts that will form will not be good, and he hates these people enough by default.

Thor's drinking his morning tea when Loki grabs a glass of orange juice. It's a surprise that Thor doesn't drink some kind of protein shake mixed with raw eggs in the morning.

No, he does that at lunch.

He leans on the counter and stares into his cup, avoiding Thor's eyes. It's strange to be in such silence when Thor, one of the noisiest people he's ever had the chance to meet, is standing not far from him. He sets his cup in the sink and allows his eyes to wander over to the boy who happens to be staring at him.

The eye contact is brief and awkward, but Loki doesn't look away, not allowing himself to show weakness. Instead, he uses the opportunity to size him up and take in his outfit.

Something Loki learned about Thor was that he was not shy about showing off the product of days obviously not wasted in the gym, tight shirts and equally as fitting jeans. Loki catches his eyes slipping sometimes, and he can't believe that he shares a roof with _that_. It makes sense that the blazer only adds to Loki's slipping control around the boy, dark jeans and a long-sleeved powder blue shirt that makes Loki think for a second that Thor might know something about color coordinating.

He turns away from Thor and dumps his orange juice and cup in the sink. He will not allow himself to blush, but he almost does because he can feel Thor's eyes on his back. He wonders what Thor even thinks about his looking. A normal guy would think Loki was either looking for a fight or checking him out, but Thor's not a normal guy.

Wordlessly, they both depart to school, Thor hailing a cab effortlessly with only the raise of a hand, and Loki loathes how easy it is for him to act like a New Yorker. Thor points out inane things they pass such as buildings and shops that he's seen in the backdrops of movies set in New York—"Well, we are in New York, Thor."—and chats about how different he think American schools will be after catching some series about teenage pregnancy. Loki only rewards him with a few nods and snorts and steps out of the taxi when it pulls up in front of the building he saw in the Google search.

Loki has seen the show Gossip Girl a few times, mostly reruns of course, but the building is similar to their school except for the massive logo, exactly the same as the one on his blazer, above the entrance. He feels as if he's just stepped into the show with how everyone looks around him, lounging on the rock railings and with the god that is Thor beside him. It's surreal.

"Whoa, nice," Thor says, and if that isn't an understatement, Loki doesn't know what is.

Loki schools his face into a mask of neutrality.

The entrance hall is massive and completely covered in dark marble and black metal. There's a large SHIELD logo shaped carpet in the center of the room and large television screens cover most of the walls, the SHIELD logo and other images and blueprints flitting across the screen in intervals.

People seem to be constantly in movement, and those who are standing still stand out like a sore thumb. One boy in particular who is leaning against one of the walls and tapping at the screen of what Loki assumes is a phone contrasts extremely with the urgent people around him, lazing and unserious. He's shouting at the screen loud enough that Loki knows that he's shouting _at the screen_, and no one pays him half an ounce of attention as they pass in and out of the doors. It's probably a regular occurrence that they simply don't care enough.

He finds the office up the set of stairs at the end of the entrance room with Thor not far behind him—he checks behind his shoulder every few seconds—and goes up to the front desk.

A grim-faced brunette woman comes out of a side door, holding papers by her side and talking into a Bluetooth headset at a million miles a minute. Loki can barely make out her speech though words like "serious" and "important" making their appearance more than once in each sentence.

She reaches up and taps the headset once, and her entire demeanor changes to project radiance. "Hello, young men, how can I help you?" she asks. "Oh, my—dear, I'm so, so sorry. You're Loki and Thor. I can't believe I forgot."

"Oh, it's fine-"

"Really, this never happens. I—there should have been someone waiting for you. My god, I'm going to kill Barton for making you find your own way here. He's definitely going to get those extra laps in PE." She ducks down for a moment and resurfaces with a large black file emblazoned with the SHIELD Academy bird. "Here at SHIELD we're much more meticulous than that."

She comes around the desk and takes his hand, her grasp firmer than he expected. "Miss Maria Hill, nice to meet you," she says as she takes Thor's hand. "Welcome to SHIELD Academy of Greater New York. May I show you around?"

"Yes, Madame, please do. I wouldn't want to get lost," Thor says, and Loki sighs. That face and those arms would bring the most grown of woman to their knees before Thor.

Miss Hill though doesn't seem fazed at all and beckons them to follow her out of the office.

They go down one of the two corridors on either side of the office, and it's much darker in contrast to the open lighting of the front entrance

"This is corridor b," she says, her voice echoing off the marble walls. "It leads to most of your base classes such as mathematics and history." She stops at an intersection of four hallways. "If you continue forward, you'll be going into corridor C, left is corridor D and right is corridor E. Your first period doubles as your homeroom. E. Follow me, so I can show you your lockers."

Miss Hill stops in front of a group of lockers toward the end of the hallway and pulls out a blue slip, handing it to Loki. "Your locker is this one, C5654. Here is your combination," she says, handing him the slip and a thin black file. "This is your schedule as well as any other stuff you may need. Any questions, Mr. Laufeyson?"

"No, no, Miss Hill. Thank you," he replies.

She nods once. "If you need anything, feel free to drop by the office although I expect that any of the other students will be happy to help you. Your first class starts in ten minutes, so be there by the time the bell rings. Have a nice day, Mr. Laufeyson."

"You too," he manages to say before she's already halfway down the hallway with his brother in tow, looking back at Loki over his shoulder with a worried expression. It's almost comical that Thor is worried about Loki, a person he's only truly known for a few days and known about for a few months. Loki doesn't feel anything but burden because Thor is another new person he's expected to associate with.

Back in Sweden, he went to a private school where he was allowed to accelerate to his full potential—and ignored by most of his peers in favor of them whispering behind their hands and making fun of his barely post-pubescent form-and his mother made sure that it carried on over here.

He pauses outside of the door to room E104, to try to prepare himself for whatever is coming. He's seen television shows and movies—_Mean Girls_ is one he's seen too many times for his own good—and he knows how Americans treat "the new kid." It's annoying and some kind of American tradition to alienate someone who has been thrown into a completely new environment.

In the land of immigrants, immigrants aren't treated so nicely to his knowledge.

He goes to open the door and pushes, but nothing happens. Loki pulls to see if that was the issue. Still the door remains shut, and Loki remains on the outside.

"They're sliding doors," a voice says from behind him, and Loki turns to see a small blond boy stand there, holding his books in front of his scrawny chest and grinning up at him. "You're new. I've never seen you around."

Loki feels outrageously taller than he actually is next to him which is how Thor must feel like around everyone. If he reaches out, he thinks he could snap the boy in half with little to no effort. "Yes, I'm not originally from here," he replies. "Do you have Dr. McCoy, as well?"

The boy nods, bony fingers raking through his flawless hair. "Chemical and Physical Biology. You should be glad you didn't come too late in the school year. Would have been a disaster."

"Well, my mother planned ahead. We moved around the school year, so I'm assuming that school has already been in session for a week?" he asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he replies. "We only have about a minute or so until class starts so we should go find some seats." The boy is smiling at him, and it's odd and… genuine.

He opens the door for Loki smile still intact, and Loki catches the glint of dog tags dangling between his books and chest. The most innocent make the best killers, yes?

Inside, it's so much unlike the hallways with its futuristic furniture and bright lights. There are about a few seats are filled, a lot like home where most of the kids weren't in the advanced courses like he is.

Loki's always found the futuristic trope tacky, but it doesn't appear so here.

He walks to the desk completely covered with scattered bundles of papers and pens littered across the surface.

A head of mussed black hair appears from under the desk, and Loki almost jumps backward in surprise. It's a young man with smart glasses and a pen in his mouth, and Loki almost chuckles to himself at the realization that this is his Chemical and Physical Biology teacher. A man who barely looks like he's 25 years old is teaching him math.

He clears his throat causing him to jump, and a few snickers come from around the room. He looks around confusedly before his eyes find Loki and widen. "Oh, I-"

He glances down at his desk and flushes a pink before pushing up to his feet and extending a hand over the desk. "You're Loki," he says, nodding more to himself than to Loki. "I'm Dr. Hank McCoy, and I'll be your Chemical and Physical Biology teacher for the rest of the school year. It's nice to meet you."

Loki shakes his hand firmly before pulling away. This young man is nothing but a boy in man's clothing. This Dr. McCoy will have to prove himself to Loki if he expects him not to mock him in his mind.

"Loki Laufeyson," he replies. "I hope you don't mind, but I didn't bring my book since I was unsure that I would need it-"

"Oh, that stupid thing. That's just so the state will get of SHIELD's back about the whole private curriculum thing. I make up my own curriculum with the rest of the science department, and none of us actually use our books just in case you think I'm insane or something." He smiles briefly.

"We've only been in school for a week or so, so you don't have much to catch up on. We don't get into the full swing of things for a few weeks anyway, so… Yeah, you only need to know that you're obligated to, uh—what was that again?—oh, yeah, you have to pass the standardized test at the end of the school year which gets you your college credits, and it appeases them, so… yup. Yeah, I think that's all.

"You have any questions or…?" Dr. McCoy trails off, looking at Loki anxiously.

"No," he says. "Thank you, for… Thanks."

Dr. McCoy smiles briefly again and nods at Loki. "Yeah, uh, you're welcome. You can go find a seat anywhere since as you can see, we're pretty vacant."

He turns around and spots the boy from the hallway making a motion to the empty seat next to him. He knows no one, and there's someone being openly friendly to him. He should enjoy it while it lasts. Too bad the boy doesn't know what he's gotten himself into.

He slides into the chair and turns to see the boy smiling at him. He must like smiling, but Loki still returns the smile as he turns forward to see that their teacher is standing up with a tablet in his hands.

"Okay, class, the bell should be ringing-"

A bell rings overhead from the speaker.

"Yeah, so anyone not here is late, and I'm sure that all eight of you are here. For good measure, I should take traditional attendance so here goes nothing." Dr. McCoy tapped at the tablet a few times before looking up at them again. "Amadeus Cho?"

A boy with a mop of unkempt black hair raises his hand lazily.

"Jane Foster?"

A mousy girl sitting two seats in front of the blond boy raises her hand.

"Justin Hammer?"

There's a "present" from a bored looking boy sitting a seat away from Loki.

"Loki Laufeyson?"

He raises his hand, and everyone turns to look at him. He can feel their scrutiny, and it doesn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

"You're new," the boy Justin Hammer says, and Loki resists the urge to tell him that he's pointing out the obvious.

"Peter Parker?"

"Here," a voice accented heavily says. The boy is leaning on his arm and still glancing in Loki's direction even though everyone else has turned back to face forward. Loki openly stares at the boy. Looking at him isn't unenjoyable.

"Steve Rogers?"

The blond boy next to him raises his hand, and Loki finally knows his name. Steve Rogers, it's so average and old-fashioned that it fits him perfectly. He can imagine the American flags waving over his head. It's the name of a president.

"Betty Ross?"

A girl with dark black hair raises her hand, and Loki sees how full her lips are in her side profile. It's almost outrageous, but the rest of her features balance it out.

"Jose Santini?"

"Right here," a boy says, running a hand through his voluminous hair.

"Good," McCoy says. "The morning announcements, and then we can get started."

The Parker boy turns and faces forward, and Loki lets himself smirk.

The same logo as that on his blazer appears on the whiteboard, and is promptly replaced by a smiling blonde girl at a desk against the SHIELD logo.

'Gwen Stacy – Junior Class President'

No surprise that it looks like actual news, scrolling news ticker, weather, and all.

"Good morning, SHIELD. I'm Gwen Stacy with your morning rundown…" American football, football, tennis, a multitude of other sports, clubs, and upcoming events Loki will be too busy enjoying time to himself to participate in.

What a joy it is that SHIELD has school spirit. Loki may have traded those ice hockey rivalries for worse.

It turns out that McCoy actually knows what he's doing even if he does only talk about mathematics related things that he's done before he taught and recounts anecdotes from his time in high school math classes. It's entertaining to see him violently flail his hands around with his words and vomit words so fast that if Loki tunes out, he'll be lost in the story.

Loki glances over and sees Steve staring at McCoy enraptured and leaning on his elbow. Loki thinks that it is the real-life version of Sixteen Candles except it's two men and not the nineties. Perhaps he is just daydreaming.

The bell rings, and McCoy returns to his place behind his desk while the students file out.

Loki stands up and pulls out his schedule. He has French III next with Mr. Wagner.

As he's walking out of the classroom, he doesn't realize that Steve is next to him until he begins to talk about what McCoy's discussed the previous days. He's surprised that Steve has stuck around so long, but the introvert inside of him desires to be alone. He doesn't say anything though and uses the opportunity to ask Steve for directions, testing just how kind Steve Rogers is.

"Oh, that's upstairs," he replies as he looks down at Loki's schedule. "Go up the stairs at the end of the hall"—he points—"and keep going until you find R108. I have Physics next, so I guess I'll see you at lunch. Wait, I'll just come and find you. Have a great day, you hear?"

Loki finds his way up the steps and to R108, and the class is much more filled than his last one. It's much more normal and familiar to Loki, and he lets out a sigh of contentment.

"Eh, Monsieur Laufeyson has arrived, _mes amis_!" A thick accent says, and Loki looks around to see a man with actual navy blue hair standing in the back of the room. Just when he was okay, something or better yet, someone like him happens. "Welcome!"

Mr. Wagner is clearly not American himself, perhaps German or Austrian. He hasn't had the chance to place the difference between the two accents, having encountered only a few Germans in his life. Austrian seems likely since they speak French and German there.

"My Swedish friend, I am charmed to meet you," he says, bowing. "I am Monsieur Wagner although many of the students call me Monsieur Soir for my hair which closely resembles the night. Come, come, and I shall show you the ways of my classroom."

The bell rings just as the last student comes in.

He leads Loki to his desk decorated in flags from all across the world and phrases in many languages. "We have not done much save for tell each other about the culture we grew up in, in French if you can of course. Some things we do not know yet, and I plan on changing that." He claps his hands and the room goes silent. "Friends, amigos, we have a nouveau _étudiant_, and he is not from here. He is _un Suédois_ or Swedish. Come on; repeat it with me, _Suédois_."

The students repeat the word with him, most flowing through it beautifully.

"_Bien, bien_! Now, Loki, tell us about your life in _Suéde_!"

The words flow from his mouth like he's said them millions of times before which he hasn't. He's never had to tell someone about his life because no one has ever cared much, but the times when he's had to give some insight onto his upbringing to one of his mother's colleagues or girlfriends, he's done it flawlessly. It's not surprise that he skates through the one sentence introduction of who he is and where he was born. He slips a few good-natured American and Swedish stereotypes in, and a few students laugh, so Loki feels pleased with himself.

"Bravo, bravo!" Mr. Wagner says, clapping with the students. "I see that we have a witty man here, and it brings me great joy to have him in my class. Now… Natasha! You will be his buddy for today, and I expect you to help him when you can, okay?"

Loki can see that he's pointing at a red-haired girl with an expression that makes him want to go on defensive mode. It's the hard look in her eyes that says that she's been through trials of life that Loki can relate to, and Loki does not like feeling "familiar" with someone he hardly knows. For him, being through similar situations does not automatically make someone closer to someone else. Dwelling on his colorful past is not a basis for friendship.

She nods, her curls bouncing. "Of course, Monsieur." She smiles, and the sheer beauty of it makes Loki nearly rethink his previous thoughts. "It'd be my pleasure."

"Good. Now, take a seat next to Mademoiselle Romanoff, and we'll get to business."

He takes his seat next to Natasha and feels more confused than he has in his entire life. He's unsure of whether to be frightened by her or to be relaxed by her friendliness, so naturally, he resorts to wariness. He's going to keep an eye out for Natasha.

French passes in a whir of "Franglais" as Wagner dubbed it partially through a recount of a trip he took to Haiti in his youth. The stories are a lot like he is, all over the place and hard to comprehend without some context. And it turns out that Loki was right. He's from Austria, raised bilingual by a gypsy, which Loki believes considering what he already knows of Mr. Wagner.

When the bell rings, Loki waits for everyone else to leave, so he won't be caught in the rush

"What class are you going to?" Natasha asks, surprising Loki.

He doesn't immediately reply, only stares at her to calibrate her intentions. He gets nothing other than simple interest. "Organic Chemistry," he replies, "with Professor Lehnsherr."

She smiles, one that looks genuine, and her eyebrows rise in accordance. It's a beautiful expression on her face, and Loki knows that if he were attracted to women, he would already have crush on her. "Ah, I have him as well. Let's walk together."

And so they do, Natasha leading the way a few steps ahead as she talks to him. She's extremely short yet Loki doesn't feel like he is the one with the upper hand here. She projects this intimidating power that makes him seem like he is the shorter one. She talks about Professor Lehnsherr with nonchalance to her voice, and he wonders if she is naturally that "cool."

"And beware. He's German too, and he's got a temper to match," she says as she pulls open the door to room T112. "Just raise your hand every once in a while, and he'll like you."

When the door open, Loki is stricken by the glint of black and silver metal and winces at the reflection of it in his eyes. The flasks and beakers on the desks are the only things that appear not to be metal in the entire room.

He turns—his eyes are still squinted—to the desk in the front of the classroom and sees that there is a man sitting there, head rested on the curve between his thumb and fingers and legs crossed over the top of the desk. His eyes are a piercing blue that Loki doesn't think he's ever seen except for in the choppy seas on the coast, and they're staring straight at him, unwavering and emotionless.

If Loki's ever met a staring adversary, it's this man.

Natasha greets him in German.

He nods back in acknowledgment, but his eyes remain fixed on Loki.

The bell rings somewhere, sounding much quieter than Loki remembers, but then again, his heart is racing in his ears, hard and fast. _Hard and fast._

Professor Lehnsherr stands up simultaneously, all feline movement and grace that makes Loki's throat ache for something he doesn't know of, that he's only felt around certain people. He seems to dance around his desk as he walks, sliding past Loki with only centimeters between their bodies and leaves a static charge on Loki's skin as he does so.

Loki can only follow his gaze by moving his head, and he has a feeling that he is letting every emotion show, but he doesn't care. He can't stop staring.

"I've never seen you around before," he says. He turns around and leans again the desk, casting Loki one more look before looking at the students. "Thank you for your silence children. Now, if you will, excuse me for a moment. I have business to attend to."

Professor Lehnsherr takes Loki's hand in his and shakes it, caressing it as he lets go, and Loki bites down on his lip to keep from moaning. This man has some kind of spell on him. "I'm Professor Erik Lehnsherr. Professor's a lot more sophisticated than mister although you can call me Herr Lehnsherr. Whatever works. So, you're the new student… Loki Laufeyson. I read your file. You're smart."

Loki nods and swallows the copious saliva in his mouth before he says anything. "Yes, it does have an air of sophistication that mister lacks. It's the way it seems to roll," he says, accenting the r," off your tongue, you know?" That wasn't completely appropriate, was it? "And yes, I am Loki Laufeyson, Professor Lehnsherr."

Professor Lehnsherr is looking up at him from beneath his lashes as he bends over the desk to look for something. He knows that Loki is doing obviously, and Loki also knows that he has won this battle. "Well… I have something to give to you," he says. "Maria dropped it by last period—ah, Banner, nice of you to show up."

A lanky boy with glasses is scrambling to his seat in the front row, and Loki smiles at the sight. He's clearly anxious about something, and a part of him says that this is not Banner's first time being late. There's always that kid who shows up late every day, and he's probably it. "Sorry, sorry, Stark—he kept me waiting for him. He had to close the lab, and Richards and him got in an argument again"—he sighs—"and I… Sorry."

Professor Lehnsherr chuckles, smile wolf-like, sending a chill up Loki's spine. "Since when does Stark not keep you late? Where's Richards-?"

"I'm sorry, truly, Professor Lehnsherr," a boy says as he walks in. Loki spots gray patches above his ears that make him look distinguished. "Banner was right. Stark kept us waiting… again, and I… I lost my temper. I'm sorry for being late again, but I can't make any promises that I won't be late again tomorrow. You know Stark."

Whoever this Stark that they keep talking about is, Loki will likely not see eye to eye with him. He sounds like a person who Loki would write-off from the start, arrogant and selfish like the kids who used to follow in Skurge's wake, unaware that their dear leader had eyes for Loki.

"Yes, Richards, I know Stark… sadly. Are Von Doom and Pym on their way as well, or do I have to wait for them to stumble in with some kind of excuse that points to Stark? I don't expect Stark to make an appearance since he is supposedly helping out with a demonstration down at NYU."

Richards takes a seat in the desk right of Banner. "Stark managed to sucker them into his demonstration, so they won't be showing up. Sorry."

Professor Lehnsherr sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "This happens every day if you're wondering," he says, piercing eyes finding Loki's. "When you have some of the smartest children to grace the planet in your class, they ruin things… a lot."

"We don't ruin things," Richards says. "We're simply changing them for the better-"

"Reed, I've heard this how many times already in the past week?" Professor Lehnsherr sighs. "Loki, here is your tablet. Maria gave it to me to pass on." He sets a lightweight tablet in Loki's hands. "We don't use paper here. The books are only there for show really."

It echoes what Mr. McCoy was talking about earlier.

"You can take a seat next to Banner," he says. "Hopefully, he can fill you in on the stuff you've missed which is minimal since interruptions are not conductive for learning," he says, raising his voice and looking pointedly at Banner and Richards.

Loki gives him one last look before turning and walking to the seat next to Banner. Back home, he had lab partners, and they were always social outcasts who hardly talked to him about things not pertaining to the project, and he liked it that way. Here, he knows that isn't going to be the case.

He sits down, and Banner looks over at him, eyes scanning his face like he's making calculations. Banner is the stereotypical "nerd" that he's seen used on so many television shows, glasses, striped button down shirt, and hair suited more for an adult professional. However, Loki sees something in his eyes that scares him and makes him wary of Banner like he's wary of Natasha.

Loki is surprised when Bruce extends his hand under the table and takes his, shaking it firmly.

"Bruce Banner, future nuclear physicist," he says.

"Loki Laufeyson," he replies.

Bruce tilts his head to the side. "Laufeyson? You're not from America, are you? Wait… Sweden. You're from Sweden. I've always wanted to go there. What's it like? You run on clean energy there, so tell me-"

"Banner," Professor Lehnsherr says, his tone warning.

"Sorry, sorry, I'll explain to him what we've been doing instead-"

"Bruce, you should just let me do it." Reed stands up from his chair and leans over the side of the desk. "I'm Reed Richards, polymath," he says. "What Bruce should have told you was that he is already a nuclear physicist. Being modest does nothing but produce misinformation."

"I know, Reed, you always say that-"

"Anyway, we're part of a project focused on producing clean energy for the city. It was Anthony Stark's idea, but Bruce and I joined and improved it drastically. It was a disorganized wreck that was looking to level the East Coast when we first arrived. Now, there's a few of us, and we're almost there. Loki, do you have an aptitude for nuclear physics?

"Wait, of course not. Why would you? Our parents were all physicists, so we grew up in an environment conductive to learning. It's only natural for us to be so… smart."

"Reed, you're being pompous," Bruce says.

"No, I'm being honest," he replies. "Laufeyson, wait… I've heard that last name somewhere. Obviously in the mythologies, but in reality… Wait, I know!" He points his finger to the ceiling and grins. "Your father was—"

Not this.

"Richards and Banner, do I have to do everything myself, or do you not understand simple directions? You two are as bad as Stark, really, you are. You deviate from the topic-"

"I'm not as bad as Stark!" Richards exclaims. "That's ridiculous. You're over exaggerating! Stark is worse than any of us!"

"Well then tell him what you were supposed to, not stroke your own ego," Professor Lehnsherr replies, and he's grinning as Reed glowers at him.

"Fine," he replies. "We're supposed to learn the properties of the elements in order of importance since the teachers here don't believe in learning ones that are not even related to us. Carbon is what we're spending the most time on. It's arbitrary since most of us already know the periodic table backward and forward-"

"Richards."

"Okay, okay, but Carbon is the element of life"—he makes air quotes—"so we're starting with that. Arbitrary, illogical, pointless, really, but no…" He rolls his eyes. "There's already an application on your tablet with the courseware. Bring your tablet to every class unless you get one of those teachers that don't actually use any of the provided materials and improvise. Those ones are the most intelligent though-"

"That's unsupported, Reed," Bruce says, interrupting. "Your source is biased."

"But _I'm_ my source, so clearly I'm reputable. I'm one of the smartest people in the world, Bruce. Accept it like you need to accept that you're one of the smartest people, too. So you're informed now, Loki. Carbon, periodic table, got it?"

He nods, and Reed pats him on the back.

"Good, you're looking smart already."

"…the atomic orbital model will show you that…"

Loki leans against the hard metal back of the chair and watches Professor Lehnsherr explain, moving his hands as if to demonstrate a nucleus and the electrons revolving around it. He's never found himself enraptured in a conversation where he has no idea what he's saying. Maybe it's the lull of his voice or the curve of his lips as he forms words, but he can't seem to grasp the words he can saying, not hearing where the sentence ends or where the words split into consonants and vowels. He's been fluent in English since he was eight yet he understands none of it.

The muscles in his arms ripple as he moves and Loki can imagine how they would feel in his hands, firm and strong. He can imagine how those hands—those perfectly sized hands must feel-

The bell rings, and somehow the fifty minutes of class have passed in a flurry of late geniuses and amazingly sexy professors.

He sits there for a second to gather his wits which have escaped him during the speech of gibberish and science, and Natasha touches his forearm to get his attention.

"We don't have the same class next period, but I'd be happy to show you to it."

"No, no, I'll be fine," he says, and he's watching Professor Lehnsherr shuffle through the things on his desk, peering up at them every few seconds. "It's just the gym, and that's right down the stairs, but thank you, Natasha. Really, it was nice meeting you."

She smiles at him and nods, glancing at Professor Lehnsherr and back at him. Somehow she knows everything without Loki having said anything, but he trusts her not to tell anyone. "Bye, Loki."

He stands up from the desk and grabs the tablet. He's biting on his right to cheek to stop himself from looking up and smiling at Professor Lehnsherr. He's not going to show him what he already knows.

As he passes his desk, he winks, and the hormonal boy inside of Loki groans and writhes on the ground, opening his legs in invitation for Professor Lehnsherr to slip in between them. Loki can only imagine what that would be like, having that lean body above him and those eyes looking down at him like _that_.

Shower time tomorrow should be an interesting change.

In the doorway, Loki encounters a small man in a sweater more fit for someone twice his age. He grins at Loki as he passes.

"Erik, you should stop trying to seduce the students-"

The door shuts behind him, and he doesn't hear Professor Lehnsherr—Erik with a K, Loki decides-reply.

"Loki, there you are. I thought you were going to loiter all day," Bruce says, appearing from nowhere. "I have gym next, and I overheard that you do too."

Loki does not understand why people seem to think that he makes a good walking partner. There's nothing that screams, "I am good companionship," on him. In fact, everything about him is the opposite, his dark clothes and slicked black hair. He looks like someone mothers tell their daughters to stay away from.

They walk side by side down the hallway, and every few seconds, Loki casts a look over to Bruce as he changes the subject to something else relating to science or Tony Stark's antics. He manages to make it to the beginning of the story of how he met Tony when they reach the gym doors, and he cuts himself off to change the subject again but to something actually pertaining to Loki.

"Fun fact… or not so fun fact, the teacher here is kind of harsh, so be prepared to go home and stare in the mirror feeling insecure," he says, and he looks completely serious. "I'm pretty sure that I've done it at least twice a day since I've met him freshman year."

They walk into the gym, and Loki feels small in comparison to how massive it is. The ceiling has to be hundreds of feet from the ground and the bleachers, black and blue which seem to be the SHIELD school colors, extend far above the ground, tons and tons of rows of seats. It can probably support thousands of spectators.

"Impressive, right?" Bruce says.

Loki nods. "Yes, massively."

Bruce leads the way over to a group of students on the far end of the gym.

The group of students is comprised mostly of boys except for three girls, a blonde girl and two red-haired girls.

He recognizes the boy from earlier, the one who'd been shouting at his phone, and he's standing against a wall, chipping at his nails.

"Who's that?" Loki asks Bruce.

"Oh, that's Clint Barton. He's…. strange," he replies. "I'm guessing that you saw him shouting at that phone of his earlier?"

"Yeah," he replies.

He whips his head around at the sound of heavy footfalls and sees a man stomping across the gym in their direction, silver whistle bounding against his heavily muscled chest. He looks furious, but his body language says that he's somehow relaxed. Loki suddenly understands what Bruce was talking about. He can tell that this man is going to attempt to rip apart his self-confidence.

Loki's had dozens try that before, futilely.

"What are you maggots doing just standing there? Get in alphabetical order now!" he shouts, his voice gruff. "I don't have time for you kid games."

Bruce has to be at least three inches shorter than him yet pulls Loki along like a rag doll.

"Stand here between Billy and Osborn."

Loki's shoved between some pale boy with a stupid green headband around his white hair—actually, white hair—and a smug looking boy who looks like he would rather be anywhere else.

"Banner!"

"Here."

"Barton!"

"Here."

Loki cranes his neck and sees the boy who was screaming at the phone is in fact Barton as Bruce said. Miss Hill mentioned a Barton earlier and more laps…

"Also, Barton, you have to run ten laps. Miss Hill—nice lady she is—said that you didn't do your duties. Too busy screaming at that hunk of wires!"

"But, Coach Logan, I didn't see the-"

"Quiet!"

So he was the boy that Miss Hill sent to help him. It explains a lot.

"Cage!"

"Here," a manly voice says. Loki sees that a boy with muscles ridiculous for any teenager is the one who spoke.

"Danvers!"

The blonde girl he saw raises her hand. "Here."

"Grey?" The name actually sounds like a question, and it isn't shouted. Coach Logan isn't frowning at her, just looking with a blank expression.

"Here, Logan," says the redhead. Her hair is darker than the other red-haired girl's.

"Shepard!"

The boy with the white hair replies, "Here!"

"Laufeyson!"

"Here," he says, and Coach Logan is standing right in front of him, somehow shorter than him and taller than him at the same time.

"New kid, eh? Whe're you from?"

"Stockholm, Sweden," he replies.

"Swedish Chef," he says. "A damned noodle is what you are."

"Then a meatball is what you are," Loki replies, smirking. He couldn't let him say anything without getting a reply in. "…sir."

He stares at Loki for a moment, looking him up and down. "Coach James Logan," he finally says, shaking Loki's hand in what reminds Loki of a German handshake. "Call me Coach Logan like the rest of these bums, Chef."

"Osborn!"

"Here," smug boy says.

"Shepard!"

"Here!"

"Storm!"

"I think he likes you," Osborn says, smirk still on his face. He extends his hand, and waits for Loki to take his instead of just shaking it like everyone else has done. "Harry Osborn."

"Loki Laufeyson," he replies. "Do you always look this smug?"

Harry laughs. "Yes, yes, you do when you have what I have in my pants-"

"Osborn, stop starting your sixth rejection this week and face front! Wilson!"

Loki rolls his eyes pointedly at Harry.

"Originally I was going to have you fairies and princes get dressed today, but Fury got on my ass and said that we couldn't because Chef had to get all acquainted with the system. Today I expect you all to do ten laps around the gym walking, but, Barton, not you! Go get suited up or leave here sweaty, not my problem, but you're doing ten laps running. Act like you're chasing the god of arrows or something like that dammit because you stop, I'm adding two more laps each time! Go!"

"Loki, wow, that was hilarious what you said," Bruce says as he walks over to him and Harry. "And I see you've met our resident James Dean."

Harry chuckles. "No, but he has met Harry Osborn, Sr."

Bruce and Loki exchange a look of confusion.

"Your father is Norman Osborn," Bruce says.

"I know," Harry replies, grinning madly.

Harry Osborn, Jr.?

Oh. A penis joke.

"You're crude," Loki says. "You're absolutely and hilariously crude."

"Wait, Harry, you're talking about your—oh, Harry, you're disgusting, you know that? You're going to scare off Loki."

"He's still here after the first thing I said, so I think it's a pretty good indication that he's staying. Are you two _coming_ or am I going to do these laps alone?" Harry walks backward a few steps before turning around.

Loki and Bruce start off after him.

"Is everything you say an innuendo of some sort?" Loki asks.

"It's only an innuendo if you have the dirty enough mind to decode it."

"That makes no—wait, that actually makes sense," Bruce says.

The other red head in the class Mary Jane joins them, and Harry steps between she and Loki and launches into conversation about a private art exhibition he attended because he's "the Harry Osborn."

Bruce and he lapse into stretches of silence that Bruce interrupts with anecdotes about ongoing experiments around the world that have his fancy, and Loki doesn't stare at his shoes and count the stitching on the sides of his laces because it's so inane. He listens because it's one of the most informative conversations he's had in years.

"Move Chatty Cathys! A man has some laps to run!"

They move aside and let Clint run pass, running faster than Loki's seen most people ever run.

"Laufeyson!"

What a change from Stockholm. Everyone is out to get a piece of Loki.

A boy who looks eerily like Steve if he were about 6 inches taller, 100 pounds heavier, and styled for modern America struts—yes, struts—in their direction, hands in fists at his sides. Under his blazer he's wearing a leather jacket and jeans that seem way too tight in all the right places.

Johnny Storm, he introduces himself, proceeds to let out a word vomit about his sister Susan Storm who he congratulates Loki for having not met because of her perpetual disapproval—not in those words but in frat boy slang—and choice of boyfriend in Reed Richards and for having met him and surprisingly Bruce who Johnny approves of for being "nerdy." He struts back away after a shouted, "Welcome to SHIELD, man!"

"That was… strange" Bruce asks.

"He's 'awesome'," Harry says, shaking his head. "He's Stark minus the brain cells."

"Harry, don't be so mean," Mary Jane says. "Johnny's… nice when he tries."

"But he's a complete jackass the other 90% of the time, right?"

Tony Stark, rather intelligent and rather irritating. Loki could do without ever meeting him.

"Ten laps baby!" Clint comes running past, his arms raised over his head in celebration. "You mad, Logan?"

Coach Logan appears from behind the balcony, holding his clipboard above his head. "Fine, Barton, you get the points, but that doesn't mean I forgot about those ten walking laps that you have to do tomorrow because you missed them today."

"But—that's bull! I ran ten laps while these sloths walked around this massive gym! Where's the justice in that?"

"Do I look like a man of justice, Barton? This isn't a Superman comic. I rule this gym!"

Clint crosses his arms and frowns. "You're not even tall enough to be Zod!" he shouts.

"How does he even know that?" someone says.

Clint's like a petulant child, screaming at inanimate objects because they don't work and screaming because something isn't "fair." How anyone tolerates him is beyond Loki.

"All of you that finished your ten laps can leave. Fury can take it up with me if he wants me to keep you caged in here like animals when you're not needed," Coach Logan says. "Get outta my sight, go!"

The four of them exit the gym together, Mary Jane touching Harry's shoulder and laughing about something he said, and Bruce at his side, shaking his head in amusement.

"Hey, dude, Loki."

He looks around to see who is calling him and sees Barton jogging to catch up with them.

"Yeah, you," he says. "I was looking for you this morning, you know? Why didn't you like come and get me or something?"

"Because I had no idea that the boy screaming at his phone was supposed to help me around."

Bruce chuckles.

"Yeah, well… you've got a valid point." He scratches at the back of his neck. "But still… you could've like… I dunno just stood there until I finished that level. I would be ten laps less in debt and ten laps less tired."

Loki looks at him, and he's not even panting. It's like he didn't run at all. "No, I don't believe you. You look fine to me."

"Gee thanks," Clint says. "Seriously, wait for me next time."

"There won't be a next time. I know my way around here fairly well."

"Then tell me, what's your next class?" he asks.

Loki pauses and pulls out his schedule, scanning down to fifth period. _Ancient History – Dr. Lactus. _"Ancient History with Dr. Lactus," he says. "Room I107."

"Hey, you're in my class," Mary Jane says. "I'll show you the way."

He walks up next to her. "See, I don't need _your_ help."

"Bye, Harry. I'll see ya tonight, right?"

"Yeah, sure," he replies. "Bye, Loki. Bruce, come. We have a class to get to."

"But you need _some_ help!" Clint calls after him. "I'm supposed to do that!"

They turn to the right.

"This is corridor I," she says. "We're on the other side of the school now. This is where the history and English classes are too."

The hallway appears no different, the same black doors and the same block walls. If he doesn't pay attention, he will probably end up lost. Now there's an idea. Thor. Loki doesn't want to know what he's been going through getting from class to class.

Loki has seen his large biceps and triceps and traps and pecs and—he's seen Thor's large muscles, but he's seen no gleams of intelligence in their limited time together. His golden retriever-like charisma should guide him around easily however.

He follows Mary Jane inside expecting some normal classroom or a deviation from the ones he's already seen. He was way off base.

It's not classroom but rather a lecture hall.

"Loki!"

Loki walks to the base of the stairs and sees Steve's spiny arm waving him down.

"Come sit next to me!" he shouts.

"Your help has been appreciated," he tells Mary Jane. "Also, have a good time at the exhibit with Harry." He descends the stairs, tablet tucked at his side, and stops where Steve is sitting in the center next to someone he doesn't recognize.

"We have another class together. Great," Steve says, and it should be sarcastic, but aloud, in Steve's accented voice, it's genuine and strange. "I was hoping that I'd see you before lunch."

"He walked in with Mary Jane Watson. Interesting," someone says, but Loki doesn't bother looking for whom.

Loki takes the seat left of Steve and sets the tablet down on the table top. "Yeah, I didn't know who to expect in this class. I've had so many different people in the same classes with me that I've had people to walk with to each class. I've met some characters, mind you, and I've heard of some others who I don't think that I'm thrilled to meet."

"Well, I think every school is like that," Steve says. "There are some kids who are just… different."

"I met Reed Richards," he says because he's the only person he can formulate at the moment. "He has actual gray patches of hair."

"And that's the only thing you noticed," the boy next to Steve says. He has messy brown hair and is wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses, amber colored so Loki can still see his eyes. He exudes cockiness, an aura similar to Harry Osborn's but mixed in with Reed Richards'.

Tony Stark.

"Reed can take some getting used to," Steve says, "but I like him. When he's helpful, he's real helpful."

The bell rings overhead, and the entire room goes dead silent. Loki faces forward because his instincts tell him that it's the right thing to do, and Loki has fairly good instincts.

"Some might say that the Egyptians were the very first modern civilization with their vast infrastructure and writing systems," a man says, "and others may reference the Chinese as the builders of several modern devices still in use today or precursors to the technology around us. Today, we're going to talk about the forgotten civilizations of Mesoamerica."

The man is wearing a purple sweater, a darker purple button down beneath, and it contrasts with the conservative air he casts over the room, voice serious.

This Dr. Lactus is just as qualified as his other teachers.

He turns on his tablet, and the logo for Stark Industries flashes across the screen. It doesn't take much thinking to know that Tony Stark is somehow involved with Stark Industries. He wipes the SHIELD logo wallpaper upward and sees that there are apps, most of them pertaining to a specific class.

How progressive, a truly paperless school.

Dr. Lactus flips through each slide, explaining basic facts about the pictures of step pyramids and humanoid statues with an unwavering passion that keeps Loki's attention without pause. The way he speaks of strange statues like they're priceless gold trinkets amazes him. He's clearly in his element even if he appears to be so conventional in the way he teaches.

Teachers in the past always sped through lessons, and Loki had no problem keeping up, but Loki taught himself and held more of an interest for the subject matter than listening to Mr. So-and-so drone on about the achievements of some megalomaniac conqueror—that Loki often found relatable and were subject to his envy for being born in a society Loki would have thrived in.

"Now, we move on to our main lesson today, Ancient Egypt: Accomplishments of the Old Kingdom."

Loki knows this.

"Our main exhibit today is Pharaoh Khufu," he says, gesturing up at the picture of a statue of Khufu. "He's well-known for many things, and can any of you tell me about Khufu?"

A quick glance around the room shows a few kids raising their hands, and Loki raises his high and steady.

Dr. Lactus looks around the room for a moment, and Loki can see when he makes the decision in his eyes. "Hm, Mr. Loki Laufeyson, I call on you."

Loki drops his hand and stands to address the room, telling them of Khufu's prolific life as Egyptian Pharaoh and the minor details that have stuck with Loki in the months since he actually touched the literature.

There's silence for a few moments after Loki finishes.

"Oh, smart," Tony Stark says. Quips are more accurate.

"And that, Mr. Stark, is why the Swedish educational system is far superior to our own in the United States," Dr. Lactus says, and he glances at Loki and nods. "Thank you, Mr. Laufeyson. You've done away with much of the unnecessary background information, so we can get to the meat of the matter."

There's a tap on his desk, and he turns and sees Tony Stark craned over Steve's desk, extending his hand.

Loki takes it, shaking it with dread.

"Anthony—just call me Tony—Stark," he says, pulling his sunglasses down to look Loki in the eye. "I'm please to make your acquaintance."

"Loki Laufeyson," he replies, and he withdraws his hand hastily. He's officially met Tony Stark, and he's managed to already make himself apparent on his radar. It's so much for avoiding him until he was unable to. Perhaps he's not as bad as those around six people have said. He's misunderstood?

"Since Mr. Laufeyson has already gotten the basics out of the way, we're skipping to the sixth slide, the construction of the pyramids, an interesting topic for the ages. We happen to have our resident engineer in the class with us, so before we start, let's consult him on his theory. Mr. Stark?"

Tony settles back into his chair and kicks his feet onto the seat in front of him. "What me, Doc? Oh, I think it was aliens to be quite frank. Humans aren't all that reliable now, and we were living under the belief that the world was flat less than a thousand years ago, so building durable pyramids like that? Nope, 'it was aliens,' to echo the sentiments of that _Ancient Aliens_ guy."

Dr. Lactus doesn't even look remotely amused. "Well, that's a… colorful theory, Mr. Stark, but it's also a popular one," he says and proceeds to tersely deconstruct Tony's answer. "I accept this theory, so it shall be the one that we stick to. Sorry, Mr. Stark."

"It's cool, it's cool, Doc. I know how you truly feel now, and that's okay. You're just sticking to the book, which is great—a cohesive curriculum, right? Well, good for you and the history department. Don't let my shenanigans ruin the lesson."

Tony Stark is an immature boy who thinks himself more witty than he actually is. He's harmless.

Dr. Lactus goes on about the lever and pulley system and shows them a demonstration someone made on YouTube. Some Australian boys made mud pyramids and filmed it. By the time they're finished, they're half-naked—Tony wolf-whistles, and Steve says, "Tony, be appropriate."—and covered head to toe in mud. All the while, Dr. Lactus keeps his neutral exterior, no emotional response whatever, not even a curve of his lips.

Class is prematurely dismissed, and Steve asks him, "Where did that even come from?" Loki tells him that he simply likes history.

"You spat that out like a walking encyclopedia. My jaw was on the ground, really-"

"Steve, no one uses encyclopedias anymore," Tony says, coming to sit on the armrest of Steve's chair. "You're so old-fashioned; it's ridiculous. He meant to say that your little display of knowledge was pretty impressive because it really freaking was. The kids around here will give a sentence fragment or so of garbled English, and that's the end, but that was like a college thesis—well, no, not really. I've read a few of those, and they were, phew. You sounded like Richards for a second there. He's way, way, way worse than that. I'm definitely not trying to insult you. That'd be harsh to even pull out the Richards card.

"You and me, we're going to get along. I can see it. You're the Theon Greyjoy to my Robb Stark. Wait, that was a pretty bad comparison since Theon goes all-yeah, scratch all of that stuff I just said and just know that we're friends now. You, me, and Steve are a new power trio or something."

Loki laughs. Johnny Storm is Tony Stark as far as the stream of consciousness. Otherwise, no, he does not see it. "I'm thankful for the offer, but I must decline."

The bell rings, and Tony is out of his chair immediately.

"Come on, come on, you two!" he says, waving his hands around like a lunatic.

Loki goes as he pleases, not rushing for anyone, and Tony Stark is no different.

"Tony can take some getting used to…"

"I'm standing right in front of you, Steve. If you're going to talk about me, let me know, please!"

Steve rolls his eyes as they leave the classroom, Tony holding the door open for him in an expression of old-time chivalry that surprises Loki. It would seem like Steve would be the one holding the doors for Tony. "Tony, please."

"Please, what, Steve? I have feelings too! You should honor them. It's your duty as keeper of my heart and best friend for life and in the afterlife if it exists. You know the rules," Tony says, draping his arm over Steve's shoulder.

It looks like they're some kind of couple, but the banter between them is saying otherwise to Loki. They're clearly not openly exclusive with one another, and some friends are closer than others. Still, it seems as if there is something underneath the surface of their friendship.

"Wow." At Tony's breathlessness, Loki follows his gaze down the hall to see that the cause is Thor's walking in their direction.

All manliness and sunshine, Thor is something out of one of the eighties movies Loki watched during his research in American movie history. There should be some synth-overloaded music with a whiny singer lamenting love playing in the background with how formulaic it is.

His stride is confident yet nonthreatening, and all of the other students are turning to look at him, enthralled with the sexiness that is Thor. Loki isn't sure whether he wants to run to him and offer himself as sexual sacrifice or roll his eyes and gag himself.

"Steve," Tony says.

"Yes, Tony?"

"Stay away from that guy."

Loki chuckles, but it dies when Thor gets within hearing range. He's staring straight at Loki and grinning broadly like he's been searching for Loki, and there is no doubt in his mind that Thor did happen to peek down a hallway as he passed, looking for him in some kind of peril, so he could rescue him like the hero he is.

Loki doesn't want Thor to "rescue" him.

"Loki," Thor greets, stopping in front of the three of them. "How has your day been so far?"

He stares Thor straight in the eye, not caring if there's coldness in his own. The coldness is better than the alternative for sure. "Fine."

"I see you've made friends," he says, and he gestures lazily toward Tony and Steve, but his eyes are still on Loki. "They are wise in their choice." That's such a Thor-like thing to say that it hurts Loki.

Tony steps forward and takes Thor's hand in his, and he looks so small in comparison. "I'm Tony Stark, and you, Goldilocks, are...?"

"Thor Odinson," he replies.

"Oh, so like the Norse god of thunder." Tony backs away from Thor and looks him over, eyebrows rising from behind those goofy sunglasses of his. "Wow, I can see it. Your parents must have been psychics or something."

"And you are?"

"Steve Rogers," Steve says as he shakes Thor's hand. He's staring up at him like Thor is the messiah, and Loki looks away because it's too much. If he looks any longer, he will end up jumping around like some maniac in an attempt to get them to see that Thor is like them… except more muscular and masculine of course.

Thor laughs, and Loki rolls his eyes, almost hoping that he sees. "Well, I have to get going to my next class. I bid you farewell." He bows to them before turning and leaving, walking away instead of strutting like he should be. He knows what he looks like. He should act like it, the hulk of man he is.

"Really, Steve, stay away."

"Okay, Tony."

Loki groans and turns away from Thor's retreating figure. He's going to have his mother's throat for this. He knows she pulled Thor aside and threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't watch over Loki.

"So, the relation?" Tony asks as they begin walking again.

"Step-brothers," Loki replies. "His dad and my mother married."

"Oh, so the whole Norse god thing is a coincidence?"

They descend the stairs, Steve leading the way.

"Yes, it is." He's tried not to think about their naming conventions because it is just coincidence like how his parents were both named for Loki the god of mischief's parents. It's all simply coincidence, not anything illogical. Like "fate." How ridiculous.

"Hm... interesting," Tony says, and Loki doesn't even want to ask why. From what he's already seen Tony say and do, he thinks it's best to keep their relationship or whatever on a need to know basis. "You don't like him?"

Leave it to Tony to pick up on Loki's emotions yet not leave them alone. "He's my step-brother," is all he replies.

"That's not a-"

In front of the cafeteria, Clint, Natasha, and Bruce are standing there, and America has proven to be opposite to home—Stockholm in numerous ways, including people's attraction to companionship with him.

"The Lok-master, I see you've met Stark and Rogers already," Clint says. "It seems like you have great choice in friends?"

"Can it, Barton," Tony says, opening the doors. "I have to take _my_ friend to go get some grade-A SHIELD grub. Follow me to food paradise."

Loki glances around the cafeteria, and for once in his entire time here, it feels familiar. It feels like the cafeteria back at his old school, open and busy. He may not have been content there, but he misses it. He misses it, and this cafeteria is a carbon copy except for the blue, silver, and black coloring.

Before they can crowd him, he grabs a tray and passes the dishes of food until he finds something remotely familiar, pizza. He grabs two slices because it's safe, and it's something that he can do without worrying about coating the inside of his arteries with thick layers of fat. He may live in America, but he won't live like an American.

He finds an empty table on the edge of the cafeteria and sits down to the general peace and quiet-

"There you are. We thought that you were going to go all wee-woo or whatever." Clint puts down two trays and takes a seat across from him, Natasha taking a seat next to Clint.

Loki counts the remaining amount of seats around the circle of the table, 13, or more than enough for everyone who seems to think that he's a good person to befriend to come over and sit down. The relative solitude of his few friends has gone.

Bruce joins them which isn't so bad, bearing the news of red velvet cupcakes to Clint, and Harry Osborn seats himself with a bag of chips in Arabian because he must display his status. Then Reed Richards seats himself and Susan Storm who he introduces to Loki, not radiating the disapproval Johnny spoke of. A ginger-haired girl and a boy with a broad grin take up two more seats, the boy introducing himself as, "James Rhodes," and the girl as, "Virginia Potts, but just call her Pepper."

Loki is not surprised when a boy with a dimpled chin and a lop-sided smile sits beside him, and says, "Bucky Barnes, a good friend of Steve's. Pleased to meet you."

Mary Jane and the boy from Chemical and Physical Biology Peter Parker sit, and Loki hasn't sat at a table this occupied since his mother forced him into tuxedo and dragged him to a mixer for work where she sat him next to Thor and told him she and Odin where getting married.

He picks small pieces of his pizza and observes the dynamics of people who clearly don't often come together at lunch, how Harry chews hard and glares at Mary Jane and Peter both, Susan touches Reed's shoulder while he pays no attention to her and talks to Bruce.

Tony Stark arrives bearing a tray larger than anyone else's, announcing himself as the "main event," and talking Susan into another seat so that he can sit at Loki's other side.

"See, I had a feeling you would be a picky eater, and I see you haven't even touched your pizza, so… I got you a little bit of everything!"

"Gods, kill me now," he whispers to himself.

"So, Pete, how's Gwen been?"

"Loki, can I have your pizza? You're not even eating it and-"

"Stop being so greedy, Clint."

Loki shoves his tray across the table. All 16 chairs are filled up, including his own. He must admit that it's an overwhelming feeling to be sought out with cruel intentions clearly not key.

"Loki, you okay?" Steve glances at him from one seat over, blue eyes filled with new concern familiar to Loki only in one instance, Thor in their first awkward meeting.

He offers Steve a small smile in return and assures him that he is. Even he, the chameleon, must acclimate himself in certain situations.

"I see you all have welcomed our new student."

The table goes completely silent, and all heads turn to face the man standing behind Bucky. He's wearing a suit with his hands clasped behind his back, hair parted to the side and earpiece like Miss Hill's on his ear.

"I'm Vice-Principal Coulson," he says. "I hope that you've enjoyed your time here thus far, Mr. Laufeyson. We hope that the transition has been smooth as we planned it to be."

"Yes, it's been very smooth so far," he replies. "I thank you for getting my classes correct."

"Well, I think we may have been wrong about Ancient History," he says. "I've been told that you're far advanced in that class."

"No, Coulson, don't take him out of Lactus. He's my friend." Tony pouts at Coulson like a child.

"Stark, please, stop with the pouting. It does not fit with the sunglasses."

"Well, our curriculum is different in Sweden," Loki says. "We cover many of the topics in primary school, so I have a little background in history. I have an unfair advantage actually."

"'Unfair advantage.'" Coulson smirks. "Tell that to half of these kids at your table. Their parents have been spoon feeding them calculus since birth. I'll see you around, Mr. Laufeyson. Enjoy your lunch."

Around the table, a few people are sputtering and looking offended at Coulson's words.

Tony is having some kind of difficulty at finding the correct response. "Coulson, I'm, I'm offended at your stupid—it isn't even calculus!" he shouts.

"My father didn't even teach me calculus," Harry says. "He made me read the Wall Street Journal."

"It's not my fault that I've been given an opportunity to use my father's resources!" Reed says. "For his information, I would have been a genius even if my father had been some everyman. Difference is I wouldn't be here, and that's not much of a difference, is it?"

"Coulson's wrong." Tony picks up a spoon and what looks like mashed potatoes and hands it to Loki. "Howard Stark has shit to do with who I am."

"Looks like Coulson hit the berserker button," Clint mumbles, and he gets many glares. "Tellin' the truth, jeez!"

"Bruce, how are you so calm about all of this-?"

He stands up, tray in hand, and there's tension in his every movement. "We all know that Coulson is wrong, so let's not dwell on it," he says firmly before going off to dump his tray.

"That's the best thing I've heard all day," James says, and Bucky nods in agreement.

By some other twist in "fate"-ridiculous-many of them share their next class Psychology with Dr. Strange where they, according to Clint, "Stand in pitch ass black."

Natasha touches his arm feather light and suggests that they leave early to avoid the crowd, but as they dump their lunches, a dozen other lunches are dumped, and a makeshift procession of people Loki's known from less than 24 hours forms.

He bites the tip of his tongue and tries hard not to despise them on principle of taking up space in his proximity.


	2. Chapter 2

2. Thor Odinson: Genuine Human Being!?

The door slides open into a dark classroom, and Natasha enters first.

Inside, it's dark and the only light comes from red and blue curtained windows, making everything it touches appear slightly hypnotic. He glances around for Natasha but doesn't see anything except for shadows.

"Shit, it's dark," Tony's voice says from the shadows. "Oh, Loki, you might want to hold onto yourself if you get what I'm saying because anything is up for touches or grabs in the dark. I'm just trying to feel my way around, and if you're in the way, I have to feel."

"Tony, stop being so crude," Steve says. There's a gasp from him. "Tony!"

"What, Steve, you heard my speech!"

"Will you please be quiet?" Natasha says from somewhere on the other side of the room.

Loki looks in the direction and see's nothing but darkness and dim light which only reveals slivers of flooring. "Natasha, where are you?"

"Stay where you are, Loki," someone says. Richards. "This is some kind of psychological experiment. We _are_ in Psychology."

Loki glares in the darkness toward the direction of Reed's voice and dearly hopes that Reed can feel the weight of his glare under those gray patches of his and keeps his mouth shut the next time he wants to condescend to Loki. People back home—in Stockholm didn't avoid directly talking to him for no reason.

"Yes, we are, Reed," he replies.

Peter says something rather stupid, and Harry jumps at the opportunity to call him out on it. Peter scoffs somewhere behind Loki and asks him what he has against him. Loki can only smirk in the darkness as Harry responds like a child, "Mary Jane and I have a date, Pete. She's off limits."

Loki takes a few steps in the right direction and the back of his knees catch on a chair he promptly seats himself in, leaning back and crossing his legs.

"My god, you people are annoying," Reed says. "Do you have to drag your personal issues around with you?"

"Not everyone is a robot, Richards," Harry says. "Some of us like to take care of our problems head-on."

"Finally got that damn door open," someone says.

"Oh, shit, we got ourselves the nutcase-"

"Ha, you've got that right, Starky. Now fuck off. Why is it always so fucking dark? Do they want us to murder each other or do we just wait?"

Where Steve stands in the dark, he wears an offended expression on his sallow face.

"Wade, I'm sure they wanted us to murder each other, totally."

"I'm all for murdering someone, especially people who are backstabbers," Harry says.

"Everyone should just calm down. If anyone tries to murder someone, I'll be forced to stop them."

"Reynolds, that won't be necessary," a stoic voice says. Loki can imagine who says it, brooding and proud, and he's happy someone has half the brain to intervene. "We're going to all wait until this experiment is over whenever that may be whether today or at the end of term."

"Doom and gloom, you can go fuck yourself," Wade says. "You've always been a gigantic asshole."

More arguments blossom and are promptly snuffed out, and Loki raps his nails against the side of his chair and waits for these 45 minutes to be up and to meet the light.

"You first, Lady Jane."

Thor.

Given Thor being a senior and not of the same aptitude of Loki, the issue of sharing classes with him seemed unlikely, but Loki was wrong. Here, Thor is in the darkness with him, calling someone 'Lady Jane' like he needs charm with those muscles and those eyes and that grin…

"Hey, I know that voice. Thor!" Tony shouts. "What is up, my Norse god? Is it just weird that I realized that I've always wanted to say that all my life?"

"You realize you could have said it to Loki this entire time," Bucky says. "Loki is a Norse god."

"But he would have probably killed me… right, Loki?"

He hums in reply.

"See? I'd rather be alive to stand in the dark with all of you awesome, amazing people."

"Shut up, Tony."

"Oh, Thor, thank you." It's that 'Lady Jane,' the girl from his Chemical and Physical Biology class. "I was fine with standing last week."

So he's gotten her a chair. How romantic.

Wade Wilson starts singing "Electric Avenue," complete with guitar noises, and there's a collective groan and shouts for him to shut up.

"So, Loki, tell us about the wedding," Tony says, and of course he hasn't forgotten about Loki.

Loki stands there, and in the darkness he can still feel eyes on him. "What wedding?" he asks.

"The one between you and Thor, duh! Does the darkness make everyone forget about conversations or something?"

"They're married?" Peter asks, sounding confused. "Is that even legal?"

"Oh, Loki's gay too, Altman! Maybe you can all have some big gay fiest-Ah! Ouch!"

"Be quiet, you idiots!" von Doom shouts, and Loki wants to applaud him. "It's obvious that they're not married. They would both be Odinsons or wear some type of jewelry. Young weddings are always flashy like that. They get married so young for a reason."

"I'm talking about your parents. Was it a big affair, or…?"

"They married at the civil authority. We were present. It was more of a preventive thing since they were already planning to move here at the time. They're having a ceremony—a traditional one like you have here in America—next Summer."

"I'm invited," Tony says. "Steve's my date. I call him."

"Loki, I had no idea we shared a class," Thor says.

"Yes, what a surprise," he replies.

Light slowly drifts into the room as if the sun has risen.

Loki squints his eyes and sees the faces of people he recognizes, and the other new faces who he only knows by their voices and names. Wilson, the one he knows is too blunt for his own good, is some boy with ridiculous hair and a handsome face which does not match his mouth whatsoever. Reynolds resembles Wilson in more ways than one. They look like brothers.

Altman steps in front of the two of them and inclines his head to Loki. "I'm Teddy Altman," he says. "You may have met my, uh, significant other Billy… he looks like the guy with the white hair, but it's black."

"No, I don't think I have." He turns his head and sees Thor standing close to Jane who he dwarves by over a foot, the opposite of all the girls at home.

Thor wants a taste of every variety of girl, doesn't he?

He's one of the few seated, von Doom—a dark haired boy with sharp eyes that glare—and Reed both sitting across from each other at a table.

The bell rings overhead and the door opens, light from the hallway pouring into the room and lighting everything.

There is no teacher in the room.

"Which class do you have next?" Loki looks up at Natasha.

She doesn't even look fazed at all.

"Uh… Creative Writing with Professor Xavier. You?"

"Yep," she replies. "Stark, Rogers, come on. You two are walking with us."

Tony glares back at Natasha but grabs Steve's arm anyway and begins pulling him along. "Come on, Steve. Professor X time."

She looks back at him, raising an eyebrow as if she read his mind, and Loki is almost afraid that she can. She pushes open the door to the third floor and stops at the first door, tapping her foot impatiently. "Barton…"

"Sorry, coming!" Clint appears in the doorway of the classroom, hair disheveled. "Eh, Chef, you didn't run away."

She gives him a look that Loki chuckles at before continuing down the hallway.

"So how was psychology?" Clint asks.

"Terrific," Tony says, and Loki looks back at him and Steve, seeing that Tony is trying to straighten up the collar of Steve's blazer. "Strange is still strange, nothing new."

"Oh, guessing it was fun then."

"Hey, wait up." Bruce walks out of a hallway… corridor V or W. "Going to Xavier's with you guys."

"Cool."

The Creative Writing classroom isn't a classroom in the least, rather a theater in the round at the top flight of the school with vaulted ceilings and a centered stage and the like.

"X is pretty much the smartest teacher here," Stark says, "and when he was all, 'I want to teach something new,' they were like, 'What?', and he said, 'Creative Writing.' He asks for one of the observatories and the board gives him it without thought. Can't say no to X."

"I'm afraid that's false, Mr. Stark, or I would be teaching, much, much farther up into the atmosphere." The man from Professor Lehnsherr's class steps up onto the stage, hands clasped behind his back, and he's still wearing that ugly sweater.

"You asked for a classroom in space?" Clint asks.

Professor Xavier grins and nods. "Why wouldn't I? SHIELD does have the resources."

"Oh, ambition, Professor X," Stark says. "Wondered why I always liked you."

"Yes, yes, well, thank you," he says. Loki realizes that he's not speaking in an American accent. He sounds English, posh actually. "Please, take a seat somewhere."

Natasha leads them to the first row, and Loki takes a seat next to her, sighing into his seat. He's not quirky, but Loki knows that he saw the way he looked at Professor Lehnsherr earlier. This class is going to be interesting.

Tony sits down heavily next to him, taking the armrest immediately. "See, this is my favorite class of the day," he says. "It's always unique."

"If you all will take a seat, we will be beginning class in-"

The bell rings.

"Now actually," Professor Xavier says, rubbing his hands together. "Welcome all to Creative English once again. There is one of you who's new entirely. Hello to all, and may we please begin?"

He steps off of the stage and takes a seat next to Clint. "Hello, Mr. Barton."

"Sup, Professor X."

Professor Xavier asks them what makes a good murder mystery, and Clint gives an answer that is predictable enough to earn laughs and Reed follows with a long explanation of murder mystery tropes only to have Xavier tell him he's almost there. His look of confusion is priceless.

Von Doom completes Reed's answer, lips pulled into a lazy smirk. His eyes briefly trail to Loki, eyebrow twitching in interest.

40 minutes before class is over, Xavier dismisses it and leaves them to organically section off into groups of two and brainstorm the perfect murder mystery though without saying more than, "I suggest you all use this time wisely. Now, I am going to go get a new cup of tea."

_Victor_ von Doom moves to the seat behind Loki and they fall into easy conversation about murder, very easy conversation, and Loki looks up many times from where Natasha records their ideas on her tablet to see him leaning in close and watching back, cheekbones cast in gorgeous shadow by the lights above.

Loki apologizes on instinct, an empty reply of, "I'm sorry," to Victor when their arms clash. It's nothing more than being polite, but Victor stares at him and says, low, "Never apologize."

Tony claps Victor hard on the back, and Victor sits back in his chair away from Tony's grasp. "Have you met his brother Thor? He's about 6'4", 250, muscles like a freaking Tyrannosaurus Rex."

"Um, that doesn't even make sense," Clint says. "T-rexes—"

"He's his brother, yeah," Tony says, and Loki rolls his eyes at the threatening undertone there. "You might want to meet him."

"I'm afraid I already have," Victor replies. There's no fear in his voice. "He's the most amiable person I've met in years. Actually, he told me about you, Loki."

Loki just manages to catch the slight drop in the corners of Tony's and Natasha's mouths.

Susan asks Natasha what they've come up with to compare against what her group has, expression disinterested, and Clint waves his hand and tells her that she isn't going to steal any of their answers. She flips her hair over her shoulder and glances at the ceiling. "What have you come up with, okay?"

Victor leans forward, arms on the back of Natasha and Loki's chairs. "Nothing."

She stills and her nostrils flare as she walks away.

Victor lifts his eyebrows like he doesn't know what that was about, but Loki is no fool.

The bell rings.

He glances at his schedule. Earth Science next.

"First floor, east wing," Victor says over his shoulder. "It's next to Dr. Lactus's—if you know who that is—room, right before it in the hallway."

Natasha's jaw clenches. "Yeah," she says tightly.

"Slow Poke Johnny Three, come on!" Tony's already at the door.

Loki follows Natasha and doesn't realize that Victor is even there until he glances back to see if anyone is behind him. He gives Victor a small smile and turns around to face the strange looks that he's being given from Tony, Natasha, Bucky, Sharon, Clint, and Bruce.

Yes, he's gay too or at least gay enough.

When it's just the two of them, Victor begins to talk, the tense air gone.

"Your step-brother is truly a one of a kind person," he says. "I cannot believe how he handled all of the female attention he got at lunch. They flocked to him in droves yet he dismissed them politely and sat with his new friends."

Loki doesn't know how to react to that piece of information, and he doesn't know what Victor wants him to do with it. "A product of amazing evolution, is he."

Victor laughs. "He is. And he was right about you."

"He was?" Loki lifts an eyebrow and glances at Victor. "And what did he say?"

"Yes, he said you were the most interesting person he'd ever met. And here's your class."

Loki turns to Victor, and he isn't completely sure what the protocol for these types of things is. He's had friends but never friends he's been romantically interested in. His romantic interests were always separate. He settles for a nod and a half-smile. "Thank you for walking with me. You really didn't have to."

"My pleasure," he replies. "See you around."

Loki steps into the classroom and is stricken by the abundance of sunlight coming in from the glass ceiling.

A woman with long white hair stands behind a desk, plants decorating the surface. She turns to him, and she's the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes upon. Perhaps it's the contrast between her olive skin and hair, but even her facial features are amazing. She's one of the kinds of women that every straight man, even those with types, is attracted to. "Mr. Laufeyson," she says, grinning a dazzling smile, "come in, come in."

He steps up to her desk and can't stop staring at her. She's impossibly radiant.

"I'm Mrs. Munroe, and I'm your Earth Science teacher. I'm assuming you signed up for this class like the rest of your classmates."

He nods. Back in Sweden, he signed up for a biology class again, but here, they didn't have an elective biology class. His mother signed him up for the next best thing—this school is far superior than even his elite old one so next isn't at all apt—Earth Science.

"We're only discussing the environment portion of this course now, so you haven't missed much. Um"—she grins sheepishly as she thinks—"we're doing a partner project about weather patterns in the city and its effects this month, so you've been partnered up with no other than-"

"I'm sorry, Madame, if I am tardy." Thor's in the doorway, and he hasn't seen Loki yet since he doesn't have his 100 kilowatt smile on. He looks up, and Loki sees exactly when it registers. "Loki, I had no knowledge that you were in this class in this period as well."

"-Thor," she finishes and greets in one word, one name. "I was telling your step-brother that the two of you were partnered up for an upcoming project."

"Excellent," he says as he claps Loki on the back. "I don't have enough classes with him."

Loki disagrees vehemently. He sees enough Thor in the day, alright. He sees him at home.

"You two can take a seat at the empty table right between Scott Summers and Bobby Drake."

As they make their way to the table, Loki sees the smile, the 100 kilowatt smile, on Thor's face, and he can feel his eyes on him as he tries to keep his expression neutral. Thor's naturally intuitive, he's learned, so he tries to keep himself as calm as possible. If he rises to the bait Thor unknowingly placed, he'll lose this "game."

Loki has no idea who Scott Summers or Bobby Drake is, so he lets Thor sit down at the table first. He takes his seat next to him and does his best to ignore how Thor's eyes keep darting over to him like he wants to say something but doesn't know what to say.

"So, how has your day been?" he finally asks, and Loki is relieved he's gotten it over with.

"You mean since I've last seen you a period ago?" He looks at Thor and smirks. "Fine. I heard you were talking about me to one of your new friends, Victor von Doom."

"Von Doom? You do have a class with him?"

Loki nods.

"Yes, I told him to look for you. He's great."

Thor doesn't know the implications of those words where Loki is involved, and his smirk deepens.

"Yes, he is," he says, not bothering to hide the undertones there.

Thor's eyebrows raise, and he turns to say something, but the boy in the next desk over with red sunglasses on is tapping the desk.

"Yes?" Loki says.

"I'm Scott Summers," he says, and he points to the red-haired girl next to him. It's the same girl from Loki's gym class. "This is Jean Grey."

"Hi, s'nice seeing you again," she says, flashing him a grin. "He's in my gym class. James's dubbed him Chef like the Sesame Street guy."

Scott makes a face and turns his attention to Thor. "It's nice seeing you again, Thor," Scott says, nodding him a greeting.

"And you too, Scott."

"If everyone will please turn their attention upward, I would like you all to begin working on your warm-up activities. Document and make observations of this developing rain cloud above us, and when you're finished, we'll share our findings."

"Is this a group activity?" a dark-haired boy asks, gesturing to them empty seat beside him. "If it is, I'm asking if I can move since-"

"I'm here! I'm here! I'm here!" Johnny steps through the doorway holding his hands up defensively. "I totally got sidetracked on the way here, and some nerd dropped his books, so I had to help him pick them up-"

"Mr. Storm, please go take your seat," she says, and Loki happens to see the cloud above darken as if she has control over it. "Billy, please explain to Johnny what our warm up is about."

Billy—the boy that Altman said he dated earlier—groans as if he doesn't want Johnny there. Loki doesn't blame him.

Thor pushes his tablet to the center of the table, pushing the home button and unlocking it, revealing the home screen which isn't the SHIELD logo, but instead, a cat hugging a rabbit surrounded by grass.

Loki looks up at him and begins to laugh. "Cute," he says.

Thor grins back at him, clearly having expected him to make fun of him. Loki's unpredictable. "I agree."

He leans back in his chair to look at the sky. "Thor, write what I dictate to you. Bullet it like notes." He glances down to make sure is listening to him and receives a nod. "Good. Cumulonimbus cloud with a grayish tinge to it. The peaks of the cloud appear to be-" He cuts himself off to look down at Thor and make sure he is actually listening.

Thor looks up at him, eyes wide and innocent, and Loki rolls his eyes out of habit. "Why did you stop talking?"

He shakes his head and looks back up. He's utterly clueless about what Loki thinks of him. He's known him for a small amount of time, and in that time, he has learned enough to come to the conclusion that Thor can get thoroughly distracted if something interests him enough. For some odd reason, Loki interests him, and it's not vanity—maybe it partially is—it's observation.

"Er, the cloud is advancing across the sky rapidly," he says. "The surrounding clouds are starting to resemble the main cloud. I think that's all really. There's not much else to say. Tell me what you have written."

Thor runs a hand across his brow, and Loki notes that it's something he does when he's anxious. "'Cumulonimbus cloud with a grayish tinge. Cloud peaks…' Wait, I had to cross that out after you quit talking." He glances up at Loki, and Loki scoffs. "'Cloud advances across sky rapidly. Surrounding clouds starting to resemble main cloud.' That's all I have written."

He has to admit that Thor isn't _that_ bad when he cooperates and does exactly what Loki tells him to do. "Good," he says. "We're finished then."

"You paid a lot of attention in environmental science," Thor says, leaning on his hand and looking up at Loki. Only when he's sitting does Loki get the chance to tower over Thor. "I hardly remember the names."

"Well, there wasn't much else to do, was there?"

"Has everyone got their notes?" Mrs. Munroe asks. She looks around the class room and smiles. "Good, we're running efficiently today. Who would like to go first?"

Of course Thor raises his hand, and if Loki cared more what others thought and got "stage fright," he'd been done for. Luckily, Loki knows nothing much about these people, and the only person he remotely has to care about is Thor.

"Go ahead, Thor."

"Loki," Thor says, nudging him and sliding the tablet into his hands.

Loki reacts instantly, taking it into his hands and reciting what it says. When he finishes, he looks up from the tablet, confused at all of the looks he's being given. What did he say?

He looks to Mrs. Munroe and finds her positively glowing, and the light from above is brighter as well. "Wow, Loki, that was excellent," she says. "You even know your vocabulary. This project is sure to be a snap."

He purses his lips and straightens up in his chair. He's allowed to feel proud of himself for being so observant, and he hopes that they all see his pride. He doesn't need _their_ praise to feel good.

"You're the most interesting person I've ever met, Loki," Thor whispers, smiling a more subdued version of his normal smile.

Loki only looks at him for a few moments and turns away to press the blunt of his nails into his palm. Thor's so endearing, isn't he?

"Who's next? Alright, Bobby."

The rest of the descriptions are basic, basic vocabulary and basic grammar even for notes. Unashamedly, he smirks as each one of his classmates read their descriptions aloud sheepishly, knowing that Loki and Thor's description is unattainable for any of them. If Richards or Banner were in the class, then Loki would possibly have a problem, but these are mostly average grade twelves.

"Thank you everyone for putting your best foot forward today," she says, "but I have to say that one of you definitely shined the most. If we were in a public school, I'd have to tell you that you all did amazing jobs, but here I am only contractually bound to not totally humiliate any of you. I have to say that there was not a worst, which is a great start. Now that we have classmates who have demonstrated their aptitude for weather patterns, we can utilize them as examples and assistants.

"Today, I would like you to find your partner and begin discussion on your project. You'll have to choose a place in the city where you will base your report on, and I highly suggest you use Google maps, no matter how much Anthony Stark insists that the only map app we need is one that provides only directions and food services. When the bell rings, you're all free to go."

"Central Park," Thor says, staring at Loki so intensely that Loki almost looks away, and he'll be damned if he loses to Thor. "Central Park is perfect for this project, brother."

There goes that word again. Loki grits his teeth and turns away from Thor, staring at the back of some kid he doesn't-know-nor-care-to-know's head. "Excellent," he says, the word hissing between his teeth.

"In every movie set here, they go to Central Park, and I've always wanted to go. There's wildlife, dogs, American hot dogs. What more could a man ask for?"

Oh so simple-minded. It's no wonder he's taken a liking to that Jane when she can be another notch on his bedpost. "You want to choose Central Park, so we can get out of school and eat hot dogs while we look at New York's oh so interesting wildlife?"

"When you put it like that—yes, Loki, that's exactly what I mean."

"At least you're honest." Loki shrugs. "The wildlife does seem fun. This has to be related to the weather. 'How does the weather affect the wildlife in Central Park?' We could go and find out how."

"Yes, you see my point!" Thor touches his forearm, sending lightning bolts up his arm, and Loki is startled until he realizes that Thor shocked him. It must be the static from that shirt rubbing up against his body all day.

He moves his arm away slightly. "I always see your points, Thor. You just lack the observance to notice."

Thor guffaws. "I'm observant. The object of my observation is different from yours most of the time."

"Tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night."

He's giving Loki that look again, the one that is skepticism and something else mixed. "Dogs, Loki. We'll get to see so many adorable dogs. It's been so long since had a dog," Thor says. "He was a-"

"Golden retriever?" Loki asks, and he is hoping to the gods that the answer is yes because the coincidence will be immense.

"No," Thor replies, eyebrow cocked, "it was a Great Dane. Father brought him before I was born. As big as a horse really." He smiles fondly. "I used to run with him in the mornings. He'd wake me up from my sleep with a paw, to the face and those paws were fairly heavy. I was afraid of getting slapped by him when I was younger, but he was always quite docile with me. Quite protective, too. He outran me for years, all the way up until the end really." He stops and looks away from Loki, and Loki's heart gives pause at the sight of radiant Thor… not radiant.

He takes the natural course of action. Thor won't smile when he's brooding, and however annoying he may be, his smile isn't bad to look at. "What was his name?"

Thor still glances down at the table, but replies, "Slepnir."

The mask, the façade of Loki that handles all of the "PR" decides that touching Thor's shoulder is a good idea, and he touches him gently, offering him what he hopes is a sympathetic look. "I had pets," he replies. "A turtle when I was four. My mother still claims to this day that he ran away, and I'm imagining things. For a little while, I had a rabbit, but we had to get rid of it. Pooped everywhere and the six-year-old me was not thrilled with trailing after if like some kind of maid."

Thor chuckles, and thank the gods, some of the radiance comes back. "How are you so responsible now, then?"

"I grew up."

Their eyes meet for a second, no words leaving either of their mouths, and Thor's mouth opens just as the bell rings overhead.

Loki stands up, careful not to make eye contact with Thor. His instincts are telling him to get as far away from Thor as possibly, so he does, leaving the classroom as fast as he can, not looking back to see if Thor is following him or not.

No Thor in sight, he lets out a relieved breath in Corridor C.

He proceeds to Newsletter with a Mr. Jameson, the class his mother leant close to him, course catalogue in hand, and insisted that he take it because "journalism these days is all lies and no one can lie better than you, _Min lilla Jötnar_."

A blonde girl is sitting on a desk in the middle of the room, her legs crossed in an effort to preserve whatever modesty she has left since her skirt is barely mid-thigh length. She is talking to a boy, tapping a pen on her lip, and looks up when he gestures to the doorway. She stares at Loki for a moment, her eyes wide, and she looks down at herself as if she spilled something before slipping off the desk. "Um… hello?"

She covers the distance between them, fumbling with the hem of her skirt the entire way, and she smiles at him. "I'm Gwen Stacy," she says, taking his hand and shaking it gently. "You're the new guy I've heard so much about, Loki. I saw you in Creative Writing but didn't get a chance to introduce myself."

He nods even if it wasn't a question. "Yes, Loki Laufeyson," he says.

"Well, we'll be happy to have you," she says quickly. "I mean, you're… You'll be quite the asset here."

He glances around the room; it's a condensed version of a professional newsroom.

"Stacy, did that—hey, you!" A man with a pen between his lips and white hair from temple to temple lumbers through the doorway and shoves a hand at Loki. Presumably Mr. Jameson then. "You're late."

"Actually—"

The bell rings.

"Lucky you got here before the real interesting stuff got started. We'd leave you on teacher duty, send you on the field with Urich." He jabs his pen at the boy Gwen was talking to. "Urich, go do something. Ask someone questions. Why's everyone standing around? I don't give you A's to wear holes into the carpet!"

There is no carpet in SHIELD save for that in the lobby but Loki holds his tongue.

Pepper Potts promptly spins around the doorway and goes back from where she came.

"Potts, shouldn't you be working on that 'Student to Look Out For?' You, follow me and stop standing there."

Though Loki was already starting to follow him, he again holds his tongue.

"We run a tight ship here at _The Shield_. Best amateur publication in the world. Better than _The Times_. Parker! What've you got for me?"

Peter and he exchange a look as Mr. Jameson snatches the tablet from Peter's hands. A professional grade camera hangs from his neck. Peter Parker the school photographer. It's not such a surprise.

Jameson flicks the tablet without gentleness, biting at the pen in his mouth. He may be utterly disgusting and psychotic.

Loki should thank his mother for getting him this class if one would even call it that with this teacher.

Jameson stops flicking and Loki leans forward, careful to not touch him and unleash any more rage he could possibly have.

Thor's talking to… him, half his grin visible but Loki's utter disdain in that moment in the hallway prior to lunch fortunately not. Stark and Steve are out of focus in the background, something done on purpose, and Loki rolls his eyes at how cozy one could think it as.

Peter smirks at him. "They don't call me the ninja for nothin'."

If he were unsightly, he'd be paranoid.

Jameson plucks the screen and takes the pen from between his teeth. "Good one, Parker. Looks authentic. The masses'll like it. Get this to Stacy, and it'll be the front page tomorrow. Now, get out, and go find something worth taking a picture of." He tilts the screen to Gwen. "Looks like Parker's finally getting an eye."

Peter smiles at her, and she frowns.

Another addition to the Osborn-Parker-Watson love affair.

"Stacy, front page. You." Jameson rounds on him. "Stay out of the way. And watch and learn from these two. I've got some kiddie news to edit for SHIELD 2."

Loki's quite glad to do that.

"You get used to him," Gwen says, touching his shoulder. She looks over hers when she leaves the room.

Loki can get used to anything, but that doesn't mean he'll ever grow fond of it.

The walls are covered with newspapers, headlines declaring awards that SHIELD students were given, and there's one that catches Loki's eye "Stark Wins Prize!," and below there's a picture of a mustached man holding an award and smiling, definitely not Tony but somehow related.

"That's Tony's father," Pepper says from behind him. "Good Howard Stark changed the world."

"I've never heard of him," he replies. "I've only heard of 'Stark Industries' in passing before today. We've got our own Starks and Osborns in Sweden."

"I think Tony's glad you haven't," she says. "He's been through the friends for his money thing many times, which you know, might sound crazy since everyone here seems loaded."

As if he originally had any intention of befriending Tony Stark. "I couldn't care less about what money he has or doesn't have. I hardly know him."

"Well, I've known Tony and James since middle school, so I can tell you that it does get better. Tony's not always so…"

"Abrasive? Immature? Melodramatic?"

"Yeah, those."

He turns around to face her, leaning against the wall. For once, she looks like she's not about to explode with anxiety. "Tony and Steve, is there something I should-"

"What are you two talking about?" Gwen asks as she comes back through the doorway. "Oh, you were looking at the newspapers?"

It's so much for learning about the extent of Tony and Steve's relationship. There's probably no point in even trying when he can just observe them himself.

"Those are all old ones from the years. SHIELD's been around since the sixties, so they're tons of them. The ones that have won our student writers and reporters awards are the ones you're seeing."

Loki doesn't know what SHIELD does to attract so many intelligent students or if it's merely a product of their curriculum. Everyone he's encountered today has demonstrated some intelligence, or been in a class that required some. He's usually the smartest person in the room.

Here, he's just another brick in the wall.

He has never wanted to be usual.

"_The New York Times_ always tries to come here and recruit students about to graduate," Pepper says. "They only succeeded once, and he left after a month for the Daily Globe."

The bell rings overhead, and Gwen grabs a bag from the back of a chair, turning to Loki with a smile. "Where's your locker? I mean, I could walk you there if you want."

"No, I'll be fine," he replies as he goes to the door. He would rather avoid spending alone time with her if he can. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She grins and nods. "Of course…"

In the halls, he uses his height and flexibility to make it through the rush of students, towering over most of their heads. They glance once or twice at him, but nothing more. Novelty at the new kid, he assumes.

He opens his locker and slides his tablet inside just in time to hear the familiar footfalls of Thor heading in his direction. He turns and Thor's walking through the parted path for him in the crowds like some sort of deity.

A boy opens the locker next to him swiftly, jamming an entire canvas bag inside. He catches Loki looking at him and cocks his head to the side. "Haven't seen you around here before?"

"Loki Laufeyson," he says, nodding his head in acknowledgement. If he can help it, he'd rather avoid shaking anymore hands. "I'm a transfer student."

The boy's hair is wavy and messy, coordinating with his messy overall appearance, a worn vinyl jacket in his hands and wrinkled jeans on his legs. He shrugs off his blazer and puts it inside his locker, shutting it. "'M Rick Jones," he replies. "Tenth grader."

"Loki," Thor says as he reaches the two of them. Loki watches him glance at Rick, raising an eyebrow. "And you are…?"

"Rick Jones," he says as he leans on his locker.

"Thor Odinson," Thor says, shaking his hand. Loki doesn't miss the slight tension in the motion. "Are you ready?"

Loki nods because he's been waiting for a chance to be alone as in actually alone by himself for the entire day. "Nice meeting you," he says to Rick before he starts to walk down the hallway.

"You too."

Thor's at his side in an instant, his bulk making Loki feel small as he usually does. His height wasn't as much of a rarity back home, but here, it's abnormal. Thor's even more abnormal in the height department and the muscle and the attractiveness.

They leave the building in silence, Thor rushing forward to open the doors for Loki, and Loki almost says something but sees the indifference in Thor's eyes, not realizing what he's done. It's probably a natural instinct, Loki decides.

"Bye, Loki," Mary Jane says as she passes them with Peter in tow. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you," Peter adds and mimics a camera with his fingers.

"Loki, did you get everywhere fine?" Natasha asks, walking up to them with Clint in tow.

"Yes," he replies. "See you tomorrow."

"_A__djö_," she says, and her accent is perfect. She winks as she grabs Clint's forearm and pulls him down the stairs.

Natasha speaks Swedish, and somehow it doesn't surprise him at all. There was something about her that he saw, and he's still wary of her. Now he has more of a reason than before, and it's almost thrilling.

"I see you've made many friends," Thor says as he hails a cab with the same ease as he had in the morning. Loki pointedly walks around the cab to open his own door when it stops.

"Yes, people seem to think I'm interesting."

"Then they see the same thing that I do."

"Maybe," he replies, and he gets into the cab as Thor holds open the door.

Thor makes no motion to get inside after him.

"Are you walking?"

"No, I have football practice and football—American football practice afterward," he says, and he grins. "Coach Logan told me that I'd fail the year if I didn't join the American football team, which wasn't such a hard decision. I was going to join if they had one either way. Clint told me about SHIELD's football team."

Thor's muscles aren't simply for show, and his stupidity isn't him merely being lazy. He's probably spent his life far too absorbed in slamming his body against other boys' bodies in a completely heterosexual way with the goal of getting some ball into a net or goal or basket.

Thor's one of those hulks, boys who stomp around in their varsity jackets and talk loudly about sports while they drape their arms over make-up caked girls in cheerleading uniforms, and now he's in America where hulks are worshipped.

"I'll see you at dinner," Thor says, and Loki gives him a tight smile as he shuts the door.

Loki perhaps gets a somewhat hard at the thought of Thor in tight pants covered in dirt and shoving past others with ease, and he peeks out his door when Thor comes home and catches a glimpse of Thor's hair clumped together with sweat in a haphazard bun. He really has no choice but to jerk-off then.

At dinner that night, he prods at his food and only half-listens for the questions that his mother and Odin ask about their day at school. Thor dominates the conversation, picking up the half that Loki leaves with is silence, and Loki doesn't mind it at all.

His mother pretends to be relaxed about everything, but Loki sees the slight fidgeting movements of hers that betray how she really feels, scared and worried about Loki. He hides his disapproval with her as much as he can, eating when the urge to break up the happy talk with the truth of how he feels about this entire day becomes too strong. He somehow manages to keep his feelings in until he's excused to his room, taking the stairs three at a time as he did before.

He shoves off his clothes angrily and throws them in a pile for his mother to clean up—he'll probably end up picking them up tomorrow morning himself—getting underneath the covers and pulling them up over his eyes to black out everything else.

It's a childish thing to do, but Loki doesn't care. They deserve his childish actions for everything.

He only needs to find something amiss in his bedroom for the true childishness to come out.

He uses the silence to think about his day or more accurately, the people he met.

He categorizes them in his mind: _funny, strange, serious, pompous, intelligent, daft, annoying_ and finds that many of them fit into more than one category, sometimes three of them. He's not one for liking two-dimensional people, but he doesn't like unnecessarily complex people either like Natasha because they're tricky to understand. It's probably how people feel about him, but his complexity comes from life experience. Perhaps Natasha's is the same.

Then there are people like Johnny Storm who proved himself to be nothing more than another unwarranted cocky person on the long list that Loki's had the "joy" to encounter during his days on this earth. He's a lot like the kids Loki had problems with in his early youth, boys who thought that they were invincible for some totally unrelated reason and treated others accordingly. The difference is that Loki knows how to handle his type.

Victor von Doom, on the other hand, is the kind of person that Loki likes, the handsome genius with wit and confidence. He's what Loki likes in himself, and there's a saying that someone likes someone like themselves. It could be correct.

He closes his eyes and pictures the dark, full head of hair and the smirk…the twinkling blue eyes so full of amusement and naivety that Loki is so afraid to corrupt yet so eager to all in one-

He opens his eyes, frowning deeply. If he can't have a clear waking mind, he's going to sleep. He turns over and thinks of nothing but the broad expanse of nothingness that he usually dreams of.

Thor wakes Loki up again in the morning, shaking his arm gently before yanking the blanket and exposing him to the cool air. He doesn't say good morning or anything, just leaves, and Loki groggily wonders what's gotten into him.

In the shower, he refrains from jacking off because he doesn't trust his mind not to betray him and conjure up images of _him_ in place of someone else. His shower is faster than usual and getting dressed is a hassle with the hard-on in his pants. He wills it to go away, but he finds himself descending the stairs in an awkward way, thinking of anything that will make it soften.

Eating is as much of a hassle too with Thor staring his back down but not saying anything to Loki. It's probably his attempt at giving Loki the space that he thinks he needs, but Loki doesn't need space. What he needs, he won't get, so there's no point in even dwelling on it.

He turns and catches a glimpse of Thor's chosen attire, another one of his ridiculously tight shirts, this one deep red, and it does nothing for the situation in Loki's pants, if not making it worse.

He looks up and catches Thor looking at him, offering him a reassuring smile that he's fine only to take the attention off everything below the neck. He doesn't need Thor to see that, and thanks the stars when Thor smiles back, surprise in his eyes.

"Ready to go?" Loki asks as he shuffles out of the kitchen. His erection has subsided for whatever reason, but Loki doesn't question it. He heads out of the house, Thor on his heels, and allows himself to relax.

Thor hails the cab, and they head out for school, silent during the ride.

They arrive fairly early, and the hallways are mostly empty. Thor walks Loki to his locker, waving to the occasional teacher that Loki doesn't recognize, and he stands there leaning against Rick's locker as Loki grabs his tablet.

He doesn't bother questioning Thor because he knows that they're walking on thin ice here, and any of his actions could mean that Thor will just give up and back off, which is what Loki thought he wanted, but he actually wants Thor to _like_ his company. Yes, yes, he knows how strange it is, but Loki is strange.

He follows Thor down corridor D where his locker is. It's feels like proper thing to do, so he just goes with it, and Thor gives him a small smile for it.

As Thor closes his locker, Loki catches Steve and Tony walking in their direction out of the corner of his eye and grimaces, knowing what's coming next.

"Loki!" Tony shouts, saying the last syllable like "Kay." "Nice to see you in this fine morning."

He turns slowly and smiles at Steve, who predictably didn't shout his name in the quiet of the hallway and disrupt the calm. "Steve, Tony." He inclines his head slightly.

"Thor, my Norse buddy!" Tony goes up to Thor and hugs him, and Thor's expression looks amused. "How's the whole lightning thing going?"

"Er, fine, Tony. How's your morning?"

"Good. Thanks for asking, my dude."

Steve stops next to Loki, rolling his eyes at Tony. "Good morning, Loki. I hope that Tony didn't ruin it for you."

"Watch that mouth, Steven. Tony Stark does not ruin things."

"No, he didn't. I don't think that's quite possible." His hard-on went down on the cab ride there, and he feels more comfortable in his skin, knowing what to expect today. "Care to walk to class together?"

Steve lights up at that, and Loki's satisfied. "Sure. Bye, Tony and Thor."

Loki nods a goodbye to the both of them. "Why's Tony here in the morning?" he asks. He was sure that Tony and a few of the other boys went somewhere for that project that Reed was bragging about.

"He drives me here first," Steve replies, shaking his head. "He has done it since he could drive and even before..."

Dr. McCoy greets them as they take their seats toward the back of the classroom.

Chemical and Physical Biology is average, the teacher discussing his time writing his dissertation for his Ph.D., and Loki thinks that he's a bit overqualified to be a teacher even in his young age. He underestimated Dr. McCoy heavily, and he vows to never do the same to any other teacher at this school.

He sees Natasha in the hallway on his way to French, and the two of them walk together. He's slightly more adjusted to her height, or lack of, and slightly relaxes around her, the weariness still there at the back of his mind. He doesn't mind the steady line of words coming from her mouth as she discusses a book that she's interested in reading and realizes that none of his friends do seem to be fans of small talk either.

Yes, Natasha will become his friend, he realizes as he takes his seat next to her in class. He doesn't hate her company and thinks he'll come to enjoy it in the near future. It's not warm nor is it cold, it's perfectly neutral, and Loki likes that.

He walks into Organic Chemistry, nodding Professor Lehnsherr a greeting and tries to restrain the moan he wants to give at the sight of him alternate biting the lid of his pen and tapping it against his lips. It's a sight that would make the most celibate man fall to his knees, and Loki's strongly thankful that he's not celibate. But Professor Lehnsherr _is_ a teacher, so that is definitely a relationship that will be making very little advancement.

Bruce smiles at him as he takes his seat and greets him. He launches into a conversation about some program he saw last night about animals and nuclear exposure, and Loki wonders how he knows that he even has interest in animals, but it's Bruce, and he is one of the many geniuses that Loki's met. Loki replies with his concerns about the affect the exposure could have on animals, and Bruce responds with some half-genuine agreement about the topic. Loki doesn't say anything about Bruce not actually caring about the animals involved, only the scientific findings that will come from it.

Professor Lehnsherr asks them to turn their attention to the projection on the board, and the entire class goes on about Carbon and everything involving it, and Loki has to stop himself from leaning on his arm and staring at him like a teenaged girl with a crush because that is the extent of his interest. He's infatuated with a very attractive and intelligent man is all.

Loki and Bruce stop at Loki's locker to grab the SHIELD-issued gym bag that somehow made its way there after the morning and head to gym. They get changed, and Loki keeps his eyes on his feet as Harry changes a little too close next to him, saying things with obvious innuendos, and Bruce rolls his eyes when Harry accidentally pulls down his underwear, giving Loki a too close look at his ass. Loki has to admit that it's a nice, albeit pale one, but he only finishes putting on his gym uniform, which is just navy pants and a grey t-shirt with the SHIELD logo.

Coach Logan is in an especially bad mood and tries to taunt Loki but fails when Loki just stares at him and replies, "Present."

Ancient History is the same as yesterday, Loki raising his hands when he knows the answers and Tony making comments.

It's after Ancient History when Loki decides that the day is going to be fairly good.

Tony stops them and makes them stand against a wall to "lounge like cool cats and wait for Thor."

Loki doesn't even bother protesting. There's no point in avoiding Thor anyway. He's stuck with him whether he likes it or not.

"Loki," Thor says as walks toward them, hair flowing. "Hello, Steve, Tony."

"Thunder," Tony replies.

"Hello, Thor."

Loki doesn't reply with a greeting, only stares at him. Thor's known him for long enough to catch on that Loki isn't going to reply with a "hey" or a "hi" like a bashful schoolgirl. He may have school girl tendencies, but he doesn't have to succumb to them. It's only the crush on the teacher thing that makes him schoolgirl-ish.

The teacher in question is quite deserving of the crush anyway.

"Are you headed to lunch?" he asks.

"Yup," Tony says, and Loki notices that he's a lot more subdued than yesterday.

"Good, I underwent a schedule change," he says. "I have lunch with you now."

How… convenient.

Tony grins and slaps Thor on the shoulder. "Awesome. Sitting with us then."

Ahead of Thor and Tony and Steve, he takes his seat at the lunch table with Natasha and Clint and eats his salad while levelling a blank look at a shouting and gesturing Clint.

Natasha sees the look on his face because she gives him a curt nod of understanding.

Loki grabs his knife from his tray as Thor, Steve, and Tony take their seats, Thor sitting to Loki's right, and stabs his grilled chicken with more force than necessary. He grabs his fork and does the same, taking a forkful of salad and bringing to up to his mouth. He chews, and his teeth click loud in his ears.

Bruce sits down and immediately looks at Loki, his brow furrowing. "Is there something I missed? Wait, who is this?"

"Thor's Loki's step brother," Tony says.

"Oh, I've heard about you," Bruce says, and the way he says it doesn't sound happy.

Loki lets out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny?" Clint asks. "I want to laugh too."

"Shut up, Barton," Tony says, and he turns and glares at a still laughing Loki. "You too, Laufeyson. Bunch of nutcases."

"Look who is talking, Stark," he replies, grinning. "Is it the lack of sunglasses?"

"Possibly."

"Steve, you're quiet," Loki says, leaning forward to get a better look at him.

Steve is eating with a bored look on his face. "I'm fine."

"Who is this?" Harry is standing with the same lunch as he had yesterday. "I've never met you."

"He's Thor, god, Osborn. Late much?"

"I'm sitting here today," he says as he sits down in the same seat. "Miss Romanoff."

"Osborn."

"So, what is he doing here?"

"Thor can talk," Loki says, rolling his eyes at Harry.

"I'm Loki's step-brother," Thor says. He looks affronted that Harry doesn't know who he is.

"Yeah, yeah, now I remember. I was almost afraid you were one of Stark's friends."

Tony points to his cock and makes a sucking motion to Harry.

Harry gestures to Thor. "You're like godly, you know that right?"

"Stop flirting with my brother, Osborn," Loki says. He simply wants to see Osborn get mad, and if Thor acts embarrassed, that's a plus.

Thor turns and looks at Loki, his eyebrow cocked, and Loki shrugs in response, looking back at Harry.

Harry huffs. "I was not."

"Uh, you kinda were," Tony says. "You don't comment on someone's size—wait that was the wrong term for sure."

Clint and Tony start chuckling like a bunch of immature children.

"He is though. You don't have to be straight to see that. I mean, wow, dude, you were taking people out on the field last night. What do you bench?"

Thor takes a sip of his water and looks a lot like Steve right now, bored. It seems like fitness talk would be something that Thor would enjoy. It turns out Loki guessed wrong.

"Oh, looks like we have ourselves a new person," Pepper says. "Thor, right? You're in our psychology class."

James takes a seat next to Clint and pulls Pepper down beside him. "Nice to see you in actual light," he says, smiling.

"You too, and yes, Thor Odinson."

It is starting to look a lot like yesterday, and Loki is really hoping that no one else takes Thor's appearance as an invitation for them to come over and sit down. Eating with the seven of them was fine, and now there are ten. That's more than enough.

"You interrupted an important question, Potts. Really, how much do you bench?"

"I don't know in pounds. 450?"

"No fucking way."

"Damn."

"Fuck me. Metaphorically. You'd kill me."

"I told you all. It's god powers."

Loki smirks at Thor, not believing that he's so nonchalant about such an impressive feat. He can lift 450 pounds. For some reason, that bit of information goes straight South with all of his blood. Thor can lift him without so much as breaking a sweat, and gods, is that hot.

No, thoughts away from there. He's not going to get another erection after that one this morning.

He bites down on his lip and squeezes his knees together, counting to ten in his head to clear his mind. He stares down at his hands and thinks of everything but the number 450 and Thor.

He looks up and of course he makes eye contact with Thor. He looks away immediately and regrets it. He lost the staring unspoken contest for the first time because he was too afraid of Thor seeing.

"Don't ever say that in front of the ladies Thor," Tony says. "That's a panty dropper."

"Tony, why do you have such a one-track mind?" Steve asks. "You assume that's all girls think about… sex."

"We actually don't," Pepper says. "We think about cats, bunnies, clothes, rights, and boys. Yeah, boys almost all of the time, and we talk about them as much. Cute boys especially."

"Explains why the girls are always talking about me," Harry replies.

"Actually, the girls are talking about Loki," Pepper says. "I mean, that totally came out wrong, and I am going to get lynched since—you guys did not hear this from me."

Girls talking about him. Not a large change since girls talked about him though they usually ended their backhanded compliments with reasons why the attractive traits he had were invalid.

"Oh, Pep, you can't start that then just not say anything. Go on."

"Oh dear, I'm so dead. They're really just talking about how attractive he is. Asking him on dates and to the winter formal. Um, it's stuff like that. Yeah."

Loki finishes eating until he's had his fill and stands up to leave with Natasha.

"Thanks for inviting us…"

They're out of the cafeteria before Stark can say anymore, and Natasha's silent for the first few seconds of walking. He knows what she's thinking, but he appreciates that she's not the kind to jump headfirst into conversation.

"I understand that you're not used to this… group thing," she says. "I'm not all that much either. Clint and I have always been a duo. Your brother, he seemed slightly out of place too."

"It was because I was ignoring him," Loki replies. "He understands my moods, but he takes it personally."

"He seems like a good person. I don't know how you feel about him or anything, but I think that you should probably invest something in your relationship. I'd regret not getting close to him if I were you."

"I'm an only child. I'm used to being alone. He's… changed things, and I have to change for him. It's not what I've ever planned to do, but there's not much of a choice, is there?"

She smiles at him. "Nope, not really. We've all got to make hard choices."

"Like whether or not to tell every girl in this school that I have absolutely no interest in them?"

She laughs, opening the door to the third floor. "I'd advise you not to do that unless you want them to think you're playing hard to get."

The door to Psychology is open, and there's actual light coming from it.

"At least we don't have another psychological experiment," Loki says, following her into the classroom.

There's a man there in a blue tunic, widow's peak prominent on his forehead, and he's sitting cross-legged in the center of the room. His eyes are closed as if he is meditating, and his breath is loud and regular. The chance of him meditating is rising with each second, but Loki doesn't assume he does. The teachers here have demonstrated strange habits already.

"Miss Romanoff, Mr. Laufeyson," the man says, eyes still closed. "Take a seat in at one of the tables."

They exchange looks and sit down at the nearest table, Natasha across from Loki.

Tony, Thor, and Jane walk into the room together, Tony making a face mimicking shock at Dr. Strange sitting there.

"Mr. Odinson, Miss Foster, feel free to sit down at any of the tables. Mr. Stark, you as well, and I must admit that your antics are quite amusing."

Tony makes another face but sits down next to Loki.

Thor and Jane sit at the table next to them, Jane sitting behind Loki, and he has to contain the sigh of contempt.

The class starts to fill with Dr. Strange greeting everyone from the same position.

The bell rings, and everyone goes silent as if a switch was hit. Dr. Strange doesn't tell them to be quiet either, only sits there with his eyes closed. It's unnerving that even with his visibly closed, it feels like he's watching them all intently.

"As you know, I am Dr. Steven Strange, and this class is Psychology. My methods of teaching are quite different than many other teachers though I hope you learn to cope with it," he says. "Today I will be sitting here while you all converse with each other… or not, depending on your preference. Don't mind me at all, and make yourselves as comfortable as possible."

"So you're saying we can talk?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark, you can talk."

"'Kay, thanks." Tony leans in close to Loki's ear. "Dude, he's giving us a free day. This has to be another experiment."

Victor comes from another table and takes the last seat at the table. He looks excellent, dark navy shirt with the first few buttons undone to reveal his tanned skin. "It is, Stark. Now, are you going to talk or can I have an actual conversation with Loki?"

"What makes you think he wants a conversation with-?"

Loki leans forward toward Victor, making eye contact. His eyes are orbs of liquid chocolate. These boys are making Loki poetic. "You were saying?" he says, licking his bottom lip.

Victor grins and mirrors Loki, arms stretching over the table in his direction. "Last night I was reading this move script for a screen adaptation of an old Sherlock Holmes novel. It's absolutely atrocious and not true to the novel at all, but there was a romance scene between the suspect and his step-brother. Now that was entertaining. I would watch the movie for it."

"Describe it to me," Loki replies. "Were there any hackneyed one-liners or cliché comparisons between the ocean and blue eyes?"

_Hypocrite_, a voice inside him says. _Thor's eyes? Ring a bell?_

Victor chuckles. "No, when he dropped to his knees and began unbuckling the other man's pants, he accidentally confessed to murdering his wife. All atmosphere of romance was gone."

"I don't imagine there was ever a strong atmosphere if whatever the dirty talk was led to that. A novel I read a few years ago included a 'romantic scene' between two friends, and I must say that it was one of the worse things I have ever read. Terribly written romance does nothing for me."

Tony groans. "You're not a forty-something mom, so I doubt you're even in their demographic. Forty Shades of Blue or whatever the hell that book is, is made to get Mrs. Robinson's panties wet, not yours. People don't understand demographics anymore, do they?"

"I read Nora Roberts once, and I can say that it was very romantic even if I'm not one for romance," Loki says.

"Do you know what porn is? God, just go watch porn, not old lady novels."

Victor glares at Tony. "Keep your own indiscretions to yourself, Stark. Some of us like a buildup."

"I like those!" Tony exclaims. "But I also like to get straight to the point. I don't want to wait for Mrs. Johnson to realize that her husband is having some affair with his secretary to get her groove back and have sex with the gardener Javier. Give me some sex!"

"I'm sure that there is an actual novel with that story line," Natasha says. "Care to share the title?"

"I don't read erotica!"

"A thriller I read without much romance was _Out of the Dark_. One of the best, I must say."

Victor's eyes narrow slightly and the brown of his eyes smolders in a way that makes Loki's pants a little bit tighter. "We should discuss this novel of yours another time. I'd love to hear about it. We could make plans for a discussion over dinner."

Loki sees Natasha and Tony exchange a look, but he ignores them in favor for dazzling Victor with a well-earned smile. He practically asked him out on a date, so they could discuss literature. If that isn't what Loki desires, then what does he? He's dreamed of having someone take him out for something besides an ulterior motive of sex, and here Victor is laying that out for him on a silver platter.

"Sounds great," Tony says. "I'm definitely coming. Have to grace you guys with some Assimov. And Natasha too. She has to come so the waiters won't think we're in a polyamorous relationship."

Loki turns to glare at Tony, unleashing all of the contempt he can muster with his eyes. He knows what Tony is doing, and he is not okay with that at all. He should learn to mind his own business or at least keep his own opinions to himself.

Tony shrugs at him, and he does the unthinkable, turns around and taps Thor on the shoulder. "Wanna come out to dinner with us? It's a book date."

Thor looks at Jane, and Loki wants to rip Tony's head clean off his neck for inflicting this upon him. "Jane, want to go on this book date?"

She giggles like a schoolgirl and nods. "Of course, Thor. I'd be happy to."

Tony claps. "Good, good, now this is a real party! Natasha, bring Clint because we all know that his comedic relief will be needed. And um… Steve! Steve, hey, wanna come on our book date with us?"

Steve's eyebrows rise slightly. "What?"

"That's a yes? Yes, that's a yes. Bucky, come along too! And Pep and Rhodey, can't forget about my best friends! You two better get your asses to this date, or I'll have your heads."

"I'd like to have yours," Loki mumbles. He can't believe that this is happening, and he does not mean it in any good way.

"Who else? Wait, Parker and Osborn, bring your asses too! We need some rich boy humor 'cause god knows that I can't provide that." Tony makes a hair flipping motion. "None of your girlfriends or boyfriends either. There's too many of us already. Richards!"

Victor groans. "Stark-"

"You see Bruce today. Tell him that we're having a book date when you see him. I'll probably forget by Creative Writing, so tell him that he's invited."

"How about we just forget about this book date thing, alright?" Victor asks, and it's disappointing to hear but obviously the proper choice. "It's clear that it is not a date any longer."

"You know what? You're right. Everyone the book date is off!" Tony shouts. "It's done because Doomy doesn't want to come, and it was his idea originally! Sorry, folks!"

When the bell rings, Loki walks with Victor, ignoring the looks Natasha and Tony give him when he leaves without waiting. He has no intention of talking to them as long as he can. They're obstructionists.

"That turned bad quickly," Victor says, and the hallway is mostly empty with their head start.

"Yes, Tony Stark is quite the monster."

Victor makes an affirmative noise, clearly agreeing.

They go into the observatory and take seats in the second row. Loki does not want to sit with them today after that fiasco.

"We should really meet out of school and discuss more literature," he says as he turns to Loki. "I'm genuinely interested." There's a flash of something in Victor's eyes, and Loki feels inclined to lean forward, but instead jumps backward slightly at the sound of the door banging open.

"Loki, you leaver!"

They turn to face forward, and Loki sees Victor's frown in his periphery. He feels the same way about all of these interruptions. Loki's not one of rushing things, but he wants Victor, he knows that much. He's attracted to the little part of him that he already knows, and that's a great sign of what's to come.

Tony sits down in front of Loki and huffs loudly, definitely trying to let Loki know of his distaste. Loki has distaste for Tony Stark as of now, but he isn't huffing melodramatically. He's tactful enough to eject his feelings in more subtle, impacting ways.

"Hello, class," Professor Xavier says from the stage. "It's nice to see all of your faces."

"Feeling is mutual," Tony shouts, and Loki rolls his eyes. Does he know when to shut his mouth?

"Some of you may have already guessed this, but we're going to be writing a murder mystery for our first major project this term. I expect some of you have already planned the foundation of this mystery, and I'm excited to see them, but today you will be getting into groups to further plan out your mystery. Now, go find your group mates and plan!"

"Okay, Doomy and Loki, we're going to put this behind us and focus on the project even if you two are leavers, especially you, Loki. Agreed?"

"Whatever, Stark. Barton, your previous suggestion, we should extrapolate from that."

Loki leans on his hand and watches as Victor takes on the leadership role, Tony and himself inserting commentary and suggestions as he throws out ideas for them to expand upon. Victor's brilliant, Loki already knew that, but it's quite amazing to see how he flows through everything and goes to the next step without much delay. He's obviously on Reed's level, and perhaps even smarter. Intelligence is one thing that Loki has an attraction for.

"So the foundation has been created, and you're all in agreement?" Victor looks around at all of them, and his eyes stutter on Loki. Loki bites back a grin. "Great, we got a lot done today."

"I think we should still have that book date," Tony says, frowning. "I was looking forward to that."

"You don't read books, Tony," Bruce says. "You read dissertations and papers about books."

"There's not a difference, Banner. You know this!"

The bell rings, and Loki and Victor begin to walk together once again, but this time Natasha catches up with them. Loki doesn't really mind, but he hasn't forgiven her entirely for her part in the ruination of what could have been a great date.

As they walk, no one says anything, but Victor occasionally brushes his hand against Loki's arm. Loki makes eye contact with him after he does it a few times more and smirks, Victor smirking back at him with that attractively arrogant look in his eyes. He turns forward and sees that Natasha is frowning. He doesn't ask her why because he knows. None of them approve of Victor, not that he cares.

Victor stops brushing against Loki, and he knows that Natasha saw too. He also knows that it's best to stop before Natasha says something, and Loki is thankful that he's as intelligent as he is. He does not want to anger Natasha.

When the two of them are alone after Natasha departs, Victor starts to brush against his arm again, but this time he openly stares at Loki. Loki finds that he doesn't mind at all. He likes the attention from him.

He likes the attention from Victor a lot.

The realization brings a smile to his face, and he doesn't bother hiding it.

At the door, Victor turns to him and opens his mouth to say something, but he's interrupted.

"Victor, I see you and my brother are already fast friends!" Thor walks up to them, laying a hand on Loki's shoulder, and Loki's traitorous body responds with a shiver down his spine. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Loki wants to stay and properly give Victor a goodbye, but the hand on his shoulder is edging him over through the doorway. "Goodbye, Victor," he says, smiling.

"Goodbye, Loki." He inclines his head toward Thor. "Thor."

Loki takes his seat, feeling irritated. It seems like it's everyone's mission to stop him and Victor from doing anything remotely personal.

Mrs. Munroe makes them take more notes about the weather, and Loki shows up the rest of the students again. Scott Summers attempts to make his sound educated, but they're still no match for Loki's superior observations. Again, it's not being vain, it's the truth.

"We should go to Central Park on Friday," Thor says. "It'd be a great end of the school week."

Loki nods. He's not interested in talking to anyone. He wants to brood and fantasize about what his date could have been like.

"Also, the weather is supposed to be great."

Loki jolts a bit in his seat when he feels Thor's hand land on the back of his chair. He turns to stare straight ahead, not trusting whatever his pupils are doing. Why can't his mind and body commit to one person? "Good," he says.

"Next period, where do you go? Yesterday I didn't see you."

"Newsletter. Gwen Stacy and Pepper are there."

The hand on the back of Loki's chair tightens enough that he can feel the vibration in his chair. "This Gwen Stacy… is she-?"

"Have you two decided on a location for your project?" Mrs. Munroe asks, standing next to Loki. Her hands are on her hips, and the skirt she is wearing ends mid-thigh. Loki knows that any other heterosexual boy would be slouching in their seat for a peek beneath.

Will Thor notice that Loki's not?

Loki nods. "Yes, Central Park."

"Excellent choice," she says. She touches Loki's shoulder and smiles. "You two are brilliant. I'm happy to have you in my class."

As she walks away, there's a chill left behind that feels odd in the fairly temperate classroom.

"She's nice," Thor comments, leaning on his elbow and staring at Loki.

Loki gulps, feeling oddly self-conscious with him staring. "She is."

After the bell rings, Loki leaves the room as fast as he can again, and he realizes that this could become a habit, virtually running out of class to avoid being invited somewhere with Thor. He gets strange looks as he turns to corner, but none of them say anything about the wild look in his eyes. They know what's good for them.

Gwen's sitting on the desk again, legs crossed and lips pursed. She continues staring at Loki like that as he closes the door behind him, and he's afraid that she's going to try to seduce him… forcefully.

Jameson saves him—after yesterday, that seemed impossible—and calls him by his last name while jabbing a mysteriously un-chewed fountain pen at him and telling him that he's "on Friday publication duty, Laufeyson."

"I could show you how to use all the software," Gwen says, jasmine stinging Loki's nose. "It's kinda hard to get the gist of. Peter showed me, but you know, I wouldn't put you through that."

He removes his blazer and sits down at the cubicle Jameson corralled him to, an incomplete digital editorial onscreen. "I'm self-taught," he tells her. "I've got this."

She bites her lip and invites him to ask her for help if he needs it. As if Loki ever needs help.

Jameson shouts for her and frees Loki to proceed unscrutinized.

Pictures: Dr. McCoy with his hands on his hips staring at diagrams on his whiteboard, Mrs. Munroe talking to Monsieur Wagner, Rick Jones and Bruce head to head over an unseen something on a tablet.

Notes providing context and background information occupy the spaces where text will go, and Loki makes quick work of expanding upon the vague, _"Clean energy is a go!"_ accompanying a picture of Reed Richards and a blueprint scribbled on the whiteboard behind him and the like.

Rather than writing, _'An astoundingly arrogant ass_,_'_ in front of Thor's introduction, he ignores his loathing for the Thor inside the sexy skin. He also doesn't comment on Thor's sexiness either which would be useless for SHIELD has seen Thor.

From the many unknown faces and names, Loki concludes that SHIELD has many, many teachers and even more students he's fortunate to not have been bothered to be introduced to.

Jameson, arms crossed, gives him a gruff, "Not bad, Laufeyson."

"Thank you," he says, and Jameson rolls his eyes and tells him to "get lost."

Thor finds him in the entrance hall and walks with him back to his locker. "How was class?"

"You've let Peter Parker take a lot of pictures of you," he says.

Thor of course doesn't see at all why that's atrocious. "He's a good photographer. Fandral, my friend, he says that he's the king of picture-taking, but Peter has him beat. Peter showed me some pictures he took of you."

Rick chooses that time to come to his locker. "Hey, Loki and Thor."

"Hello, Rick."

"Rick," Loki says. "How's your day been?"

"Good, I guess. Immersion team was fuck—freaking weird as usual." Rick scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry for cursing. My ma tells me that I need to watch who I curse around."

"It's fine," Loki replies. He's no Wade Wilson. "I'll see you tomorrow." He grabs Thor's arm and pulls him along. He's trying not to think about the fact that he's touching Thor's arm. He wasn't going to last small talking much longer, so he had to get out of there while he still had some of his dignity, and Thor had some more to think about.

"See ya tomorrow, Loki," Bruce says as he passes by.

"You too," he replies. He drops his hand from Thor's arm when it's just too much, and he thinks he's not going to be able to control himself any longer. He reduces Loki to his sympathetic system.

By the time they're outside, Thor's expression has turned back to normal, and he's squinting in the sudden increase of light. Loki stares at his face for a little bit too long, and Thor catches him, glancing at him with a questioning look.

Loki shakes his head and descends the stairs. "I'll see you at dinner."

Odin's eye just shines while he asks Thor about the ten thousand and one sports coaches and teachers have successfully recruited him for, and Thor drops any pretense of trying to appear humble about how his great big muscles and instinct for "strategy"—is that where all his intelligence has gone, into sports?—and Loki chews his food and simply enjoys the view beside him.

Ben Grimm, a real boulder of a man and Johnny's best friend, makes himself an enemy of Loki's by repeatedly and loudly reminding the school that the upcoming football game is tomorrow over the PA system and by interrupting classes, though after oh so charmingly apologizing to the teachers.

Gwen enthusiastically promotes the game on the morning announcements and on Friday, Jameson relinquishes Loki the duty of organizing the headline for Monday: **SHIELD Eagles Football Team Wins First Game of the Season**.

How humble of them.

Barton and Steve loiter at his locker, Clint's blazer over his arm so he can show off the silver SHIELD emblem on his shirt. Steve's is identical as are hundreds of other members of the student body's. Loki enjoys his own, non-SHIELD shirt, more than usual.

"So, where you going to pre-game?" Clint asks. "Me, Barnes, Tash, Steve, Rhodes, and Sharon are all meeting up at Osborn Hall."

Bruce's apathy for the game nearly surpasses Loki's own, but Stark has only scoffed and quipped about "the new season of brain damage ball."

"Stark isn't coming?"

"No, he's staying home and doing something 'productive,'" Steve says. "We were talking earlier and agreed that we had no problem going uptown to get you. The walk from the dorms to the field is five minutes, so we've got time a lot of time anyway."

"I'm taking a page from Tony Stark's book and doing something productive as well, but thank you for the offer."

"You're not coming to your first SHIELD—"

"Loki, come on, it won't be that bad—"

"Have a nice night," he says, walking away from their sputtering mouths.

There is a truth that not even Loki can lie about: sporting events are gifts from the library gods who enjoy silence and solitude themselves. The Lee Library is scarce, not a soul there save for Loki and a few others with their nose pressed so far in books they barely notice him.

He presses his ear buds deep inside and looks up at shelves lining the high atrium, just a preview of what stretches the floors behind them, and happily scales the staircase for the bound treasures SHIELD's consolidated.

All of the lights except that above the stove are off when he lugs in his bag full, and he tip toes past Thor's door and into his room as quiet as he can. The sun slowly replaces his bedside lamp as a source of light as he lies beneath his covers and pores over words smeared by the keys of ancient typewriters.

The blanket is torn from his body, and Loki's too tired to jolt.

"Where were you last night?" Thor asks-growls rather.

Loki does have enough energy for a hard-on it seems. "Lee Library."

"Why didn't you go to the game? I looked for you with our parents, our friends, and Steve told me that you deemed it 'unproductive.' I doubt you know how football works. You could've learned something."

Loki rolls onto his back, book protected on the unused pillow, and takes in shirtless Thor in only his red boxer shorts. He adjusts the blanket around his hips. "Yes, you colliding with other people and throwing around a pigskin, what a learning experience."

Stark points a finger at Loki—that's promptly glared down—and tells him, "I knew you were smarter than these plebeians."

Professor Lehnsherr mentions that he noticed he didn't see Loki cheering with his chest painted navy blue.

"He's not easily brainwashed by screaming and cheering," Bruce says. "He's got the gift."

When Loki's leaving the classroom, Lehnsherr calls out to "watch out for Xavier. He's got school spirit."

Loki's anticipating Professor Xavier sauntering over with his mug under his nose and his hand on the hip of one of his oversized, retirement home gift shop sweaters, and restrains the urge to laugh at the disapproving look he attempts to aim him with those boyish blue eyes of his.

"Now, Loki, I understand that you're new, but it's my duty as SHIELD's most beloved teacher to warn you of the consequences of not supporting our school."

"And what are those?"

"Hm, well… I'd have to say your peers might make a meal out of it and some teachers would turn a blind eye. And, you'd miss out on the wonderful atmosphere of sport."

"X, this isn't water polo at Posh Academy," Stark says. "Your threats are empty, and we all know it."

Xavier lifts an eyebrow and sips from his mug. "I'd choose wisely who you listen to, Mr. Laufeyson."

Wednesday is the first boys' football game, and Loki instead exchanges books in the library with Bruce as company while outside the tinted windows, ants in SHIELD's navy and some other unfortunate school's green scuttle around the green football field.

Everyone is far too worried about their win to come scold Loki on the other side of his book, and Xavier's crusade is interrupted by Victor saying, "Speaking as student body president, Loki can do whatever he wants, professor."

Xavier takes a large gulp of his tea and walks away.

"Thank you," Loki says. "I was planning to do what I wanted anyway."

"My pleasure, and I know." His eyes are intense. "You do that a lot as do I."

He doesn't swoon. Loki doesn't swoon, he gets a slight thrill but even that's generous.

His heart may race and his lips may twitch into a smile, but Loki merely enjoys the implication of Victor von Doom on his future and how interesting and less irritatingly golden it may be.

Thor leans on his arm and Loki feigns listening to whatever he may be talking about—the soccer game—and admires the flex of Thor's bicep and forearm as his hand gestures. He is but an action hero dropped into reality, all appearance and machismo, but little substance.

He's worthy of nothing but Loki's begrudging contempt yet there is no denial that this fool is thoroughly delectable and Loki, like all of those bobble heads gawking at him when he struts by in the halls, wouldn't be impartial to a taste.

Not simply a taste. He'd devour Thor.

"I don't have any practice today, so if you're going to the library, I could come with you," Thor says as he generously moves from Loki's locker. "I have a Calculus test I need to study for, and your help would be appreciated."

Thor, oh mighty Thor, asking the learned lame loner Loki for his help?

"I'm not going to the library, but if you ask me questions, I could answer them."

Thor's mouth explodes into a brilliant smile that would blind if they weren't in the shadow outside the school, and he slips one of his meaty arms over Loki's shoulders and pulls him close. "Good."

The Halo Effect has made Loki weak.

"Hey, you two!"

At the curb, Stark's sitting in some sleek red convertible that looks like it costs the higher end of six digits. It's gaudy and extremely… Starkian. "Laufeyson, Odinson, get your ascots in this car right now."

Thor lifts an eyebrow, and it's an expression Loki isn't disdainful of. "Ascots?"

"Yeah, you know what I mean. Get in the car 'cause you're getting a ride on the Tony train!"

Thor exchanges a look with Loki, and they both shrug in unison, Thor going forward to open up the back door. He lets Loki slide in first and gets in after him.

The sun outlines Thor as if King Midas himself has birthed him.

"How do you even know where we live?" Loki asks.

"I put on my gray hat and went into SHIELD's files."

"Tony, that's a felony," Steve says. "Fury's warned you about that."

"Keyword: 'Gray hat,' meaning neutral, harmless. Anyway, I've got Jarv making two more birthday cakes and know where you guys shack up. Buckle up because we're about to book it out of here, and J keeps threatening me about bribing my way out of tickets."

Truly unsurprisingly considering it's Tony Stark.

Tony turns on some incredibly loud music with bass that rattles his bones to the marrow and make his heartbeat feel weak. The lyrics make Loki roll his eyes at how perfect it fits this situation even if there are no Ray Bans. It's one of those rowdy songs that they play in clubs for young twenty-somethings.

When it can't get any more Tony Stark, Tony pulls out a pair of Ray Bans and puts them on and begins shouting along to the lyrics as he pulls away from the curb.

Steve turns around and rolls his eyes in Tony's direction. "He does this all of the time," he says, and his words are slightly obscured by the wind whipping through the car.

"I'm not surprised one bit."

"Stark, you have great taste in music," Thor says, and Loki gapes at him like he's lost his mind. He thinks _this_ is good music, inane ribble-rabble about sunglasses and sex?

"I'm glad you think so, too." He looks over at Steve. "This one over here is more of a Sinatra man. Doesn't know how to let his britches loose when the time calls for it."

"I know how to… relax. I just don't appreciate demeaning music about sex and over-priced sunglasses."

Tony gasps and holds a hand to his chest. "These sunglasses are not that over-priced. They make me look pretty anyway."

Thor chuckles. "Tony Stark, 'a fair maiden?'"

"Of course, oh big god of thunder and muscle. What else would I be, some jezebel? Oh god of mischief and mysterious sexiness, protect my honor from your brother! He shall not have my maidenhead while I pledge my love to the knight Sir Rogers."

The song changes, and it's completely the opposite of the previous song. It's actually good music that Loki recognizes, "New York, New York."

"Now, this is good music," Loki says to Thor and Tony. "You two clearly have no idea."

"And I said that I disliked Frank Sinatra, when?" Thor asks. "You put words into my mouth, brother."

Loki and Thor stare at each other, neither one saying anything, and Loki finds himself being pulled closer toward Thor and the literal halo of sunshine surrounding him. It's his mind playing tricks on him, he decides, when he realizes that they're drifting toward a median point between them. He blames the residual effect of the terrible music.

The car violently jerks forward, and Loki turns to stop himself from hitting his head off of the headrest.

"It's your fault lady that you can't see that it's obviously a fucking green light!" Tony shouts at a woman who passes in front of the car. "Are you colorblind or something? I suggest you go get StarkVision glasses. It corrects all of that!"

The car continues forward albeit at a slightly faster speed.

"People, I tell you," he says, "don't know how to look both ways."

"Are you alright?" Thor asks.

"I'm fine."

"What about you, Steve? You okay?" Tony asks. He goes to touch Steve's face, but his hand is batted away. "Guessing that's a yes."

The car pulls into the space in front of their house, and Tony turns the music down. He turns to glance at them, his arm slung over Steve's shoulder. "Glad to deliver you home safely. I can say that I hope that this doesn't ward you off, and you keep riding the Tony Train?"

Loki closes the door behind him. "Maybe if you realize that your selection of music should be entrusted to Steve. Goodbye, Stark, Steve."

"Thank you, Tony. We'll see you tomorrow!"

There's a near deafening roar as Tony pulls off, turning the music back up as he does so.

"That was… interesting," Loki says as he goes into the kitchen. He pulls out some leftovers to heat up. "It was a rather nice car."

Suddenly he's being spun around and pinned against the refrigerator, Thor holding him by the shoulder. He stares Loki straight in the eye as he slowly drags his hands down his arms.

For a second, Loki thinks that this is it. He thinks that maybe Thor is going to kiss him or something completely absurd like that, but Thor just swipes a lock of hair behind his ear and backs away. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

Loki sighs. The attention that his body wants is not to be checked for injuries. He wants to hurt in the best ways possible, but Thor doesn't want him hurt at all. He doesn't even know the feelings running through Loki's body, thankfully for that, and it's frustrating.

He has nearly a year left of this.

"I told you I was fine-"

"And you have a habit of bending the truth," Thor says, and he grins. "I'm observant, Loki."

Loki wants to do a million things to Thor right now, but he settles for rolling his eyes and swatting him on the arm. As he heats up the food, he does not smirk to himself, and he does not think about Thor's hands in other places. No, Loki does not do anything of those things.

Well, maybe he does, but Thor isn't there to see.


	3. Chapter 3

3. Jane Foster: Romantic Robber?!

The days pass with Tony speaking at unnecessary times, Steve correcting him, Natasha talking to Loki about things that interest her, Bruce pretending to care about radiation-exposed animals, Coach Logan making remarks to Loki and Loki remarking back, Thor sending shivers down his spine, and Gwen Stacy making advances on Loki. His friends continue to inject themselves into his and Victor's conversations. The days are all average, not as bad as the first two, and Loki's learning to adjust to the new school.

He finds that he doesn't mind the constant companionship at least one of the seven provides him and embraces it, albeit a little reluctant at first. Moping around about how unfair his life has become is accomplishing nothing. Instead, it's only halting his own personal progress while his mother goes about her life.

He still hasn't found anything wrong with his room, but he intends to keep looking. She will punish herself for missing whatever it is, and Loki will give a dissatisfied look and pretend as if he doesn't care when he does, when he does care but doesn't truly.

Friday morning he wakes up just as Thor steps through the doorway, but Thor pulls the covers back anyway, saying, "It's just a precaution." Loki catches the smile on his face, the blue light of his alarm striking white, and one of these days he shall wake up at damned midnight and do the same to Thor.

He probably sleeps completely nude and basks in his utter perfection.

As he starts the shower, he finds himself smiling slightly at the thought of Thor groggily searching for covers that are feet away, attempting to hide his morning "problem." He isn't even sure that he'll be able to get them out of his grip.

450. That's an inhuman amount of weight to be lifting, particularly for a teenage boy.

The water hits his back, and he sighs. This shower is inhuman or better yet otherworldly. He's never felt anything like it. Seven days, and he's still not remotely tired of this shower.

450.

He exhales.

Tanned skin—impossibly tanned for living so far up north really—stretched tight over massive, bulging back muscles. Tasting salty and musky and Loki thinks that he might be able to continue tasting that skin for eternity.

He groans and reaches down for his burgeoning hard-on.

Blue eyes and thick blond eyelashes, each blink pushing Loki farther into a trance that he desires to stay under forever. Who needs life when you can spend the rest of time staring into those eyes? Eyes that make Loki want to fall to his knees and pledge his loyalty to him, pledge his loyalty to someone for the first time.

He reaches out and puts a hand on the wall. He lets out another groan as he gives a sharp yank.

450 pounds.

450 pounds.

He lets out a throaty shout as he cums, and with the discharge everything including rationality comes back to him. He opens his eyes and watches miserably as all evidence swirls down the drain.

He's an absolutely pathetic human being who fantasizes about his step-brother who is more than likely straight and not interested in him like _that_ at all.

He steps out of the shower and dries himself, using excessive force as punishment for succumbing so easily. He could've fought the images away, but he let Thor flood his mind. What ever happened to his amazing self-control?

He's going to dress how he feels, he decides as he rifles through his closet. He feels dreadful, horrendous, despicable, shitty, and the best way for him to show that is by dressing down as much as he can.

He pulls on a gray sweatshirt and faded jeans that he usually wears when he feels like lounging around but not getting dressed. It doesn't happen often. Loki likes to look fairly put together, and it comes easy to him, but there are always times when he gets tired. Then again those days are the same days that he's emotionally wrecked, so there is some causality there.

He slicks wet hair back and doesn't do anything else to it. His hair is included in his dressing down day.

To put the cherry on top, he pulls the hood on over his head as he heads downstairs. It's dramatic, bordering on attention seeking since he knows that Thor will say something, but back home everyone knew that Loki wasn't in the mood to be teased for being a "fag" when he dressed like this. He's never met Thor on one of these days, so he's going to have to go through the learning process.

Thor's eyebrows rise to his hairline when he sees Loki, and he drops his fork into his bowl of oatmeal with a clatter. Oh how Loki was right.

He gets his orange juice and goes to brood by the sink when Thor stands up and walks to him. He's behind Loki, he could hear Thor's footsteps, and Loki should've turned around because he almost smashes the glass on the ground when Thor's hand lands on his shoulder and jolts him out of his daze.

He doesn't even turn around to look at Thor. Those eyes are a new weakness of his. He dumps the rest of his juice in the sink and rinses it out.

"Loki, is there anything you want to talk about?" Thor asks, and it's so genuine and concerned that Loki wishes that he were the kind of person to fall for that kind of thing. Instead he's the boy who rebukes any personal affection that he doesn't reciprocate or doesn't want to reciprocate.

"No, I'm fine."

"You're clearly not," he replies, and he removes his hand, _finally_. "What's bothering you?"

That sets Loki off, and he turns around and points a finger at Thor, stopping himself from touching his chest. He still doesn't trust himself. "I don't intend to talk about it."

"Are you sure about that?" Thor's eyes narrow slightly, and it's like he can somehow see through Loki. It's frustrating.

He grits his teeth. "Completely. Should we head to school, brother?" It's wrong to throw the endearment back into his face like that, but there is no right or wrong when he's in a mood like this.

Thor doesn't even have the gall to flinch. He only shrugs. "Of course."

The cab ride is tense, and most of the tension is coming from Loki. Thor's his normal calm self as he gazes out the window and occasionally at Loki. Unfair, it is, but Loki knows that there's nothing that can change the way things are now. He really wants Thor to just—he doesn't even know what he wants from him.

Tony and Steve are sitting in the entrance hall when they come in, and Tony makes no hesitation to comment on Loki's clothes. "Whoa. Hey, beautiful, why the long face?" he asks, and he's grinning like a madman as he does.

Loki has to restrain himself from grabbing Stark by the collar and assaulting him, taking all of his pent up rage out on him.

"Stark, no one needs your comments," Thor says.

Loki heads to his locker, fists clenched at his sides.

Steve runs to catch up with him, and he's already winded when he reaches him. "Loki, I know you may not appreciate me intruding, but can I ask what's wrong?"

He doesn't want to tell anyone because if he does, everything changes. There's no one he trusts to tell that he may have jerked off in the shower to the thought of his step brother without them feeling the need to inform said step brother. He just can't risk it.

"They're personal issues," he says as he grabs his tablet. "There's nothing to be discussed about it. I'm simply expressing my anguish in nondestructive ways."

"Well, good. I'd hate it if you did something destructive." Steve sounds unsure, and Loki shakes his head because Steve doesn't understand. He thinks that Loki is one of those teenagers who sit in their room cutting themselves. His version of destruction is worse. "I do think that you should try to seek help for those issues."

He opens the door to Chemical and Physical Biology. "I'm fine, Rogers, really."

Dr. McCoy doesn't say anything about his hood, so he sits his head on the desk and broods the entire lesson.

Natasha doesn't say anything when he sees her in the hall, but he knows that she notices.

Mr. Wagner doesn't ask him to remove his hood either.

Professor Lehnsherr raises his eyebrows slightly but makes no farther comment on the hood.

Bruce doesn't talk to him about radioactive animals.

He gets changed in gym class but keeps the same expression of anguish on his face. It wards off Harry, and he doesn't try to give Loki an impromptu strip tease while he changes. Clint glances at him but doesn't comment on Loki's expression.

Coach Logan does roll call, and he even has the observational skills to notice that Loki isn't in the mood. He only says, "Cheer up, Chef. Life sucks," before moving down the line, and Loki's quite thankful for that small mercy. He is not in the mood to drop insulting one-liners.

He gives them a free day, which Loki uses to sulk on the bleachers while Bruce sits next to him and talks to Harry and Mary Jane. There's no attempt to rope him into the conversation for once, and Loki doesn't make any effort to talk to any of them.

Steve gives him a sad look when he sits down in Ancient History and even touches his shoulder. It's different than Thor's touch, more fragile and tentative, and Loki's body doesn't respond in any other way except for some deep-rooting yearning to be held awakening for a few moments.

Loki leans back in his seat and shuts his eyes for a moment, blocking out the world around him and trying to focus on the touch on his shoulder. Steve's attempting to comfort him, and that gesture alone is enough to lift some of the dread off of his shoulders. He's never had anyone that wasn't his mother actually try to comfort him even if they knew that they probably couldn't. It strangely feels good.

"Hey, broody!" Tony says as he sits down. "Had to go take a leak, but I know you both missed me."

"Of course we did, Tony. We can't spend a moment without you," Steve replies. "Also, you don't need to share the fact that you went to bathroom with us. I'm sure Loki has the skills to figure that out himself."

"Ouch, Steve, harsh," he replies. "You're a terrible lover, you know that?"

"Whatever, Tony."

After class they meet up with Thor as usual, and he puts his arm over Loki's shoulder. It's a surprising movement that Loki didn't have enough time to anticipate, so he isn't able to duck out of the way, and it sends the normal jolts through his body.

"…and you know how awesome I am, so I was all like, 'You're kidding me? What time?' She replies, 'Anytime,' and it's over!"

"Do you intend to tell everyone about this, Tony?" Steve asks, frowning. "I don't think they care."

"But it's Emma Frost! She wants me, Steve. How funny is that?"

"I'm not seeing the comedy at all." Steve goes into the cafeteria first, and Tony shrugs.

"Don't know what's gotten into him lately. Hey, you think you're rubbing off on Steve already?"

"Find entertainment somewhere else, Stark," Loki replies. The weight of Thor's arm over his shoulders is comfortable, perhaps too comfortable. He needs to maneuver out of his grip without anyone noticing. "And Steve's right. No one cares about your romantic conquests."

Loki's stopped dodging away from them to go and get lunch by now, but he desires to strongly with Thor's arm on him. He needs some time to cope with this new development or whatever the hell it is. He wasn't prepared for anything other than a clap on the shoulder or arm.

They get into the line, and Thor hands him a tray. Somewhere within the time they make it to salad and pass the pizza, Loki's hood is pulled down, and he doesn't notice until he sees his reflection in the silver of the counter. He starts to turn to complain to Thor but sees the look of contentment on his face and can't bring himself to ruin it.

It looks attractive.

He rushes out of the line before Thor can try to put his arm around his shoulder again and drops into his seat across from Natasha and Clint.

They look up at him and don't say anything, calibrating his current mood. Clint makes a sound of approval and takes a bite of his sandwich. "Your hood's gone."

"It is," he says, sipping some of his water. "You're a good observer."

Natasha smiles. "He really is, believe it or not. He has the observational skills of a bandit."

Clint begins to chuckle wildly, and Loki knows that there's a piece of the puzzle that he's missing.

Thor sits down beside Loki, and the tension goes right back into his shoulders. If Thor does sling an arm around him, he'll feel that Loki is definitely not comfortable with that at all. Emotionally or sexually, he is, but mentally and logically, he definitely is not.

Steve sits down, still frowning. He seemed uncomfortable talking about that girl with Tony, and it's bothering him for some odd reason. Loki can infer the reason, but he does not want to go there when he has a problem of his own that needs to be solved soon.

Tony comes over to the table, and he's still talking about this Emma Frost girl that Loki vaguely remembers from his science class. He makes hourglass figures with his hands, and Steve just stares down at his food like he's lost his best friend. Perhaps he thinks that he's on the path toward that. Who knows?

Psychology with Strange is just them talking to each other again, but Loki sits and listens as Victor and Tony trade verbal blows about their clean energy project. Tony uses strange metaphors that cause him and Natasha to roll their eyes, and Victor uses words that would make Shakespeare himself applaud. Loki's torn on whose side he takes and finds himself alternating with each argument.

He still kind of likes Victor, but there's Thor always ruining things for him, and he can't commit himself to Victor entirely. He hopes to get over Thor soon enough to pursue a relationship with Victor or anyone but Thor for that matter.

Every now and then his mind drifts, and his ears strain to hear whatever Jane and Thor are talking about. It's usually Jane talking about astronomy while Thor leans on his elbow and stares at her like she's some kind of angel. He thinks that Thor likes her, which makes it all the worse because he's infatuated or whatever with his straight step-brother who likes someone else.

That's completely unacceptable.

He walks with the group to Creative Writing, not wanting to hear Tony's ranting about him being a "leaver" again anytime soon. Victor stays as well, walking on Loki's other side, and Loki wants to say something to him, but there's nothing he can say. It's his brooding day.

In Creative Writing, their project has made some progress with a storyline and characters having been laid out on Wednesday. It's amazing how much they've gotten done in such a short time span, but then again he is working with a group of brilliant people.

Professor Xavier steps up onto the stage with a mug of something in his hand. It's probably tea with him being English and everything. "Many of you have come up with amazing results for what is to become your play. This project is going to be a meld of all of your ideas into the spring play this year. Yes, you are all going to be writing the play."

"Now, that's just laziness, X! You're condoning slavery!" Johnny shouts. "I will not be your slave, sex, English, or not!"

Professor Xavier doesn't even look fazed at all by the insanity and takes a sip of his tea. "Well, whatever way you put it, you're writing the school play. Miss Darkholme and I have already discussed it. Now, I would like for you all to convene as a class and exchange your ideas. This can be a bit chaotic, but creativity is chaos, right? By the end of the period, I hope you all will have decided upon a basic plot."

"That's not enough time!" Reed shouts. "If I were working alone, yes, but not with these people!"

Reed has a superiority complex that rivals Loki's own, but he will never be able to rival the superiority complex that pre-pubescent Loki held above his fast-developing peers and their acne ridden skin and random hard-ons. Now, that Loki looked down upon everyone, both beating heart and six feet under.

Professor Xavier just stares at him as he drinks his tea, and it's absolutely hilarious to watch Reed almost explode with anger at not getting his way.

Harry's group, Harry, Peter, Alex—Scott Sommers' brother because as Tony told Loki, there's a Sommers in every grade-and Johnny combine with their own though not after giving their absurd idea for a perfect murder mystery involving someone eating someone else's dogs "because it's crazy as shit, man."

Victor remains serious the entire time although a small smile appears on his face at the murder. He starts telling them about their own mystery, the detective is completely unaware of his status of a serial killer, his drug addiction leaving him with massive blanks in his memory. He is put on a case where a girl was brutally murdered in her home and starts to notice familiar things. It turns out that he kills women who remind him of his drug addict mother and all of the murders are variations of events he experienced as a child. In the end, he figures out that he is the murderer when he stumbles upon a suitcase full of locks of hair and Polaroids of the murder scene.

Peter asks them if they're secretly drug addicts with memory blanks, and Victor laughs, not answering Peter's question, and all of them erupt in laughter at his look of horror.

Steve, sitting with his chin propped up on the back of the chair and his knees in between the cushion and back like a child, stares intently the entire time, and when Victor is about to say something, he snaps his fingers and out comes a stream of words. It's absolutely ridiculous how everything he says somehow makes sense even if he is talking at a million miles a minute.

"…and the two suspects aren't his long lost triplet brothers or anything. Instead, they're his brothers that he knows about, and they're a serial killing duo. At the end, they come to kill him, and he asks why, so they explain that they never quite liked the competition—like there was sibling rivalry for their mom's attention since she was always doped up on something, you know?—during their childhood before shooting him in the skull."

Everyone stares at him like he's lost his mind, and Loki gapes at him in awe. Steve Rogers, the one who complained about the morbidity of this project, came up with that?

"That's absolutely fantastic," he says as he grins. It's the first time he's grinned today.

Steve looks around, slightly unsure in his movements. "Really?"

Tony grabs his face and pulls him so their faces are only inches apart. It's extremely homoerotic, and Loki's expecting a kiss any second. "Fucking hell yes, Steve." He backs away and jumps from his seat. "Hell yes. We're going to beat you, Richards!" He's pumping his fists in the air.

"Tony, it isn't a competition," Professor Xavier says. "You're _supposed_ to be working as an entire group."

That prompts them to meet with Reed and his group, and by some miracle, compromise is reached though not after scrapping much of Reed's ideas because clearly, they're solely Reed's.

Gwen stops Loki as he's leaving class.

"Oh my—just, you're totally brilliant all around, aren't you? That twist it just—it was one of the most wonderful things ever, and I was surprised yet not surprised because it's you, you know? And you're the most brilliant person I've ever met, and just—how do you exist?"

He chuckles at her enthusiasm. "By probability."

She laughs and brushes her hand along Loki's shoulder again.

"High probability at that," Victor says as he catches up with them.

"Just the luckiest sperm is all," Tony adds.

"The play is going to be absolutely brilliant, and the lead isn't going to be a female, so that's good, right? I mean, it's got to be time that Mary Jane didn't get the lead, no matter how talented she is. I have no personal qualms with her, but I really think she should learn to just say no."

"To what, drugs?" Victor asks, his voice laced with sarcasm.

She shoots him a look and turns back to Loki. "What do you have next? I mean, I have to go to gym-"

"Earth Science," he replies.

"Oh, good, I can walk with you then."

"Great."

Loki hums as Victor laughs softly. Gwen wants more than what Loki is willing to give, and she is tolerable enough to have as a friend, so Loki will let her down easy.

"See you later," Victor says, and he's gone, leaving him and Gwen alone.

"Have I ever told you that I loved your accent?" she says, turning to him as they reach Mrs. Munroe's classroom.

"Actually you have many, many times already." He takes a deep breathe. "Look there's something I should inform you and should have probably informed you sooner. I'm attracted to men… and only men. I'm gay."

She stares at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

He leaves her dumbfounded out in the hallway and goes and takes his seat next to Thor. It was always a slow build-up, or someone just assumed correctly. His mother doesn't even know, but he knows that she has an idea. All of the kids back home—at his old school knew, and that was mixture of both him telling them and them assuming.

He should eventually tell Thor that he's gay to prevent an misunderstandings when Loki finds someone worthy of sneaking into his room to stay overnight who happens to be male,

"Thor, there's something I have to tell you," he murmurs, and Thor turns and makes eye contact.

"Yes, Loki, what?"

"I'm-"

"Everyone could you all please stand up and get into a single file line at the door!" Mrs. Munroe announces. "We'll be catching cabs around the city to go to our projects, which means that you all will not have a free period today. I know, I know, but I want you to have as much time as you can. Please, make your way to the door in an orderly fashion."

There goes Loki's window of opportunity.

He and Thor get out in front of the W 72nd Street entrance, and Thor takes on the leading role automatically. Loki trusts him not to get lost, which is a new development because Loki didn't even know that he trusted Thor for much of anything.

He drags his boots along ground, hands in his sweatshirt pockets, and goes back to moping. He's in one of the renowned parks in the world, and he's moping. It's an absolutely disservice to the park and to Loki.

Thor sits down on a bench and waves Loki over, so he sits down beside him, still keeping a safe amount of space between them. He slings his arm along the bench, just barely touching Loki's back, and Loki sighs. There's no way this is going to work. He's just going to have to build up a tolerance to Thor's touch.

Thor stands up from the bench and pets the dogs that pass by, flashing the owners a smile as their dog pounces on Thor and demands attention from his large hands. Loki's not jealous of animals, that those hands stray over their bodies where they will never do the same to Loki.

And none of the owners seem to mind Thor interrupting their walk either. They only grin and chat amiably with him as he ruffles their dog's ears and compliments their well-kept coat or little dog sweater. They see that radiating warmth in Thor too.

Thor comes and sits down next to him after seemingly tiring of petting dogs and stares out of the landscape, his eyes peeled as if he's looking for something. He finds whatever it is because he stands up at once and grabs Loki's arm, pulling him up like Loki's weightless.

Oh yes, 450 pounds.

"Where are we going he asks?" and they're stopping in front of a cart.

"We're getting hot dogs," Thor says, pulling him close to his side. "What do you want on yours?"

He shrugs. "Mm, I don't know. I've never had one."

Thor gets them hot dogs, one with ketchup and relish for Loki because "it seems like you would like it."

It turns out that Thor is right, and Loki does like it. He tries his best no to use the opportunity to make it look as sexual as possible, but the sexual deviant inside Loki makes him put half of it inside his mouth at once. Loki smirks when Thor looks away, a flush spreading up his neck, because it seems that Thor has a dirty mind as well.

However straight he may be.

They finish them and start to walk the paths. It feels oddly intimate, and Loki wants Thor to put an arm around his shoulders or around his waist, but is happy that he hasn't. It would feel like a date or something, and Loki does—doesn't—does—he's not sure he wants that.

It seems that Thor does because he puts an arm of Loki's shoulders and pulls him closer. He probably hasn't even noticed that it's kind of intimate because it seems that Thor doesn't have a penchant for noticing those kinds of things.

"We should be discussing weather patterns," Loki says. "We haven't."

"It's fine," Thor replies as he glances up at the sky. "It will only take us one more visit to be done with this project, and we have time at home. Remember, we live under the same roof." He cracks a smile at Loki, and his brow furrows. "Loki, you… There's something." He makes a hand motion around his mouth.

Loki touches around his mouth, looking for whatever is on it. "Did I get it?"

"No, just let me." Thor leans forward, putting his hand under Loki's jaw to steady to steady his head, and Loki's heart starts beating double time, his attempts to slow down his pulse only working when Thor starts to lean in closer. Loki's unsure of what is about to happen before Thor's free hand comes up and wipes some ketchup from his lip.

He immediately regrets the loss when Thor leans back and does the unthinkable, bringing his finger up to his mouth and licking the ketchup. Normally, Loki would retch at the sheer disgust of having licked something that was on someone's face, but instead, he has to clench his thighs to prevent the blood from going _there_.

"It was bothering me," Thor says as he turns back to Loki with a look of amusement. "I hope you don't mind-"

"No, no, thanks really," he replies. He allows himself to glance away from Thor to gain some semblance of sanity back. After that, he's surprised he didn't surge forward and close the space between their mouths without thought.

Thor smiles at him and claps him on the back, standing up and stretching. "We should head on," he replies. "Mrs. Munroe will be expecting us soon."

He stands up, nodding in agreement. He has no idea what just almost happened, and it's bothering him. "You're right. Let's go."

This time he leads the way out of the park and raises his hand eagerly for a cab to come. He hails one and climbs in first, pressing himself as close to the door as he can get.

Thor just wiped it from his lip like they knew each other since childhood. If Thor had kissed him, he may have jumped him right there in the park.

Mrs. Munroe and a few other students are waiting in front of the school when they get out of the cab. She spots them and waves them over, grinning beautifully. "I'm glad you made it back! So did you two enjoy yourselves? Today was really a day just to get a feel for you environment, so don't worry if you didn't get anything done. You can head to your locker to go get ready for dismissal."

Loki nods in acknowledgment before fleeing the scene, not checking to see if Thor is following him. He feels slight relief when he doesn't hear the firm footsteps behind him and stuffs his tablet into his locker, taking a moment to lean against it and get his wits about him.

Why does Thor do this to him? What is it about him that drives Loki so insane?

Loki mulls it over as he sits in the cab on the ride home, tapping the plastic handle of the door as he tries to delve deep into the recesses of his brain which seem too preoccupied with Thor. He's always had fleeting infatuations with men who are so physically attractive that Loki's pants seem to become tighter within feet of them, but it's never been quite as bad as testing his self-control.

He prides himself on his self-control, his ability to simply stop himself from doing something if the time came for depriving himself. He's deprived himself of so many things because hedonistic human needs are not something that Loki has to have. He's survived this long with only getting what he needed with the occasional splurge, but now he's as bad as the lot of teenage boys. Wait, he's not _that_ bad, but the track he's on doesn't look like it will end well.

Thor casts him a curious look as they stand in the foyer, Loki undoing his shoes like he used to back h—at his old home, and he returns it with a smile that pains him to give. What he really wants to give is clawing at his gut like some monster begging to be set free, but Loki would rather die than let that happen. Well, no, he wouldn't die for _that_, but he's not letting it happen. No.

With the drop of his last boot, he escapes into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. He drinks it in gulps, more thirsty than he thinks he's ever been, but it doesn't quench said thirst.

It's _that_ kind of thirst.

"Loki, are you well?" Thor asks, leaning on the counter and staring Loki down. If he keeps looking at him like that, no he's not going to be.

"Yes," he replies, capping his water, "I'm fine. Simply thirsty."

He glances at Thor once more before he tells him that he's going to be in his room, Thor only nodding in reply, and he locks himself in his bedroom. The flop on his bed is unceremonious, and Loki is just caged and anxious. There's nothing for him to do.

He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, lying on his hands to prevent them from trailing downward. He should just do something else, so he can forget that Thor was so close to kissing him and touched him like that without discomfort.

Yes, he should definitely not think of that.

He ends up pulling out his yoga mat and doing a sun salutation, but he finds out the hard way halfway through that it's not that easy to get Thor out of his mind. With a sigh, he stands up and plugs in his iPod to the dock, searching for a playlist he made during one of his angst filled moods.

He taps the playlist "Ångest" and restarts in mountain posture, trying to focus on his breathing and the song playing, "This Charming Man" by The Smiths. And it works for the most part; he makes it to Warrior I when the song that comes on breaks the thin fog on Loki's mind stopping him from thinking too much.

He stands up and scrambles to stop the music that's definitely audible from downstairs but cringes when the chorus pops up and Kylie sings about her life being changed by this person and their love at first sight.

He doesn't even bother turning it off, blindly falling onto his bed. Replace the "lust" in "It was love at first sight" and Loki would whole-heartedly relate. The gods are having a laugh anyway since some foolish people find the two interchangeable.

He's doomed for a year of barely controlling himself enough to be in the same room with Thor and not attack him, offering himself up as some kind of sexual sacrifice.

On Saturday, he keeps to himself in fear of encountering Thor and having to have a conversation with him and pretend he doesn't want to yank those fitted jeans of his to his ankles and see what's underneath.

He spends most of the day staring up at his ceiling being unproductive, and it is only at dinner when he comes out of his room. In the dining room, he slips into his seat and hangs his head low in an attempt to deflect all attention from himself.

Thor takes it as an invitation to take the seat next to Loki and seemingly sit as close as possible—though Loki thinks it may be all in his head. He jumps into conversation with Loki, and Loki only nods and replies with a "yes" or "mhm" to appease him.

Loki finds his eyes trailing below Thor's face most of the conversation and has to mentally kick himself repeatedly to keep his focus on the words flowing from Thor's mouth. Thor's mouth isn't any other candidate for helping Loki focus, his pink lips curving and widening and pursing on each word.

Dinner itself is surprisingly more torturous. Out of the periphery of Loki's eyes, he can watch the way the fork is put into Thor's mouth, his tongue coming out to clean it silver, and it's enough to make his toes curl and his body whine for attention. The way that man eats cake is pornographic, and Loki only realizes that he's demonstrating his fantasies when his tongue darts out and cleans out the frosting from between the crevices.

He instantly stops and drops the fork onto his plate, and in doing so, he manages to catch Thor staring at him. There's no doubt he's been staring the entire time, and Loki begs to be granted some kind of payment for not fleeing immediately.

The second his mother says that he can leave the table, he does, almost running out of the room upstairs into his own.

His pants are around his ankles, and his stomach and hand are coated within the next minute. He usually has a lot more stamina than that, but the images of lips sucking silverware clean are fresh behind his eyelids, so Loki cannot be blamed for not having the power to stand up against that.

Sunday morning, he's woken up by a knock on his door, and he groggily looks at the pile of stick clothes next to his bed before opening it. He squints as the light from the highway tries to blind him, and it's Thor standing there shirtless. For a moment, Loki thinks that he may have died on the destination to the door, but then Thor pushes his door open wider, and he realizes that Thor is as real as can be.

He's happy that his room is dark so he can stare at the shadows—and are there many shadows for all of those peaks and valleys—of his chest without seeming obviously enthralled. He only seems tired.

"Come downstairs with me," Thor says, running a hand over his stomach, and Loki's cock twitches at imagining being that hand touching him, rubbing him. "I require company."

His sleep-addled mind doesn't seem to actually process the request, and he starts to nod as he remains amazed by the planes of Thor's body. Anything Thor wants.

At the entrance of the den, he stops and looks down at his attire, a black t-shirt and black boxers. He feels exposed where he's standing, and he's about to turn around and go change when Thor turns around on the couch and sees him, effectively stopping his escape. He's stuck with no shield for the inevitable hard-on.

He sits down as close as he can to the armrest, pulling his legs up under his t-shirt, and he tries to divert all of his attention to the television. He recognizes Christian Bale on the screen talking to Katie Holmes, and he realizes that Thor is watching _Batman Begins_. It doesn't surprise him that he watches superhero movies.

Thor is the closest thing to a real-life superhero.

Loki has to admit that he's a fan himself—and the way Christian looks in that Batman costume is probably a major reason—so he doesn't mind being woken up to watch a movie with Thor. He only minds that Thor is not wearing a shirt, and he has to stop himself from just turning and staring at him.

The cable box displays 6:05 and Loki wants to groan and pout at being deprived of extra sleep.

Well, then again, he would miss this if he were.

He leans his head back on the couch and peeks to see if Thor is paying attention to the screen. It turns out that he's not, and they make eye contact, Thor's eyes impassive for the most part. Loki has a feeling he's been staring at him the entire time, and he almost smirks.

"You woke me up so we could watch _Batman Begins_," Loki says.

Thor doesn't seem to understand the point. "You don't like Batman?"

"I do like him. It's just… why? Why does it bother you that I enjoy my sleep?"

He chuckles. "It doesn't, but it does bother me that you are treating me like a leper. Why are you sitting so far away? It's freezing."

"Then get a blanket," Loki replies. "And a shirt."

"Why would I when I have a perfectly good source of heat not feet away? Now, come closer before we both freeze."

Loki stares at him, seeing whether he's serious or not, but it seems that he is. Against his better judgment, he shuffles across the couch until there's only an inch or so between him and Thor. Thor does not feel cold from where he is. Heats radiating off of him like a furnace, but Loki's thoughts are interrupted when Thor closes the remaining distance between them and tugs Loki close.

He puts an arm over Loki's shoulders. "If you are so tired, then lean your head on me. We can have a symbiotic relationship."

Loki listens to him and sets his head on Thor's shoulder, and gods, is it comfortable. Sitting there like that seems so uncomfortable in theory, but Loki finds that he never wants to move from that position. Thor's shoulder feels perfect under the side of his head, and his arm is pleasantly heavy. What has he allowed to happen?

Some point around when Batman saves Rachel, Thor's hand comes up to stroke Loki's hair, and it's an instant erection for Loki. He's thankful for his t-shirt because each stroke is getting him harder and harder, and he has to stop himself from fidgeting and setting off the inevitable moan.

Thor's hand drops back to his shoulder, and Loki starts at the loss. He turns to look at Thor, giving him a questioning look. "Why did you stop?" he hears himself ask, and the arousal is apparent in his voice.

Thor only nudges his head back down before his hand comes back up and begins kneading and stroking.

Loki's mouth opens in a silent moan when Thor's fingers move over a particularly sensitive spot. It feels as if he's going to explode at any moment, and he knows that he needs to get out of there before he ends up making a sticky mess in his boxers.

He glances up, and he meets Thor's eyes which are smoldering. It's as if he knows what he's doing and what effect he's having on Loki. The chance is slim though, and Loki doesn't think too hard about it, putting it off till later.

Thor's hand almost ghosts over the spot again, and Loki jolts out of his arms and off of the couch.

"Um, I have to go to the bathroom," he says, and he flees down the hall and into the bathroom before Thor can get a good look at his obvious problem. He pulls out his cock, and a stroke later, he's cumming all over his hand and into the toilet.

He gasps for breath and tries to clean up as best as he can. That's one of the best orgasms he's ever had in his entire life, and Thor only massaged his scalp. There's some explanation in there.

He manages to make it back out, and the credits are rolling, so he doesn't have to go back to the couch and try to act like he didn't just cum his brain out of his cock a few seconds ago.

He only talks to Thor about safe topics that won't lead to him making another mess in his hand. Eye contact is kept to a minimum for his sake, and he has a feeling that Thor is suspicious. He doesn't let it bother him or stop him from looking away though.

Thor's fingers on his scalp remain at the back of his mind throughout his classes.

In Creative Writing, Victor attempts to talk to him about a book he read over the weekend written by a 19th century serial killer, but Loki finds himself disinterested. Victor is still as attractive as he was when he first met him, but it seems subdued, and Loki's sure that it's from all of the time spent around Thor. In comparison, Victor doesn't quite measure up to Thor's attractiveness—could anyone, ever—and it's an absolute disappointment.

Loki wants to like Victor instead of Thor. Victor is informed of Loki's intentions and flirtation with him while Thor seems mostly oblivious of what he's subjecting Loki to. He actually seems interested in Loki, and Loki has a chance with him. He's somewhat interested in men, but he has no idea about Thor's preferences.

And that Jane Foster. He doesn't know how he managed to make it through Psychology while she talked to Thor about some stupid project of hers, and he nodded and replied with enthusiasm. He wanted to point out that he was much more interesting than she was, but he sat still and half-listened to the conversation between Tony and Victor.

In the last five minutes of class, Professor Xavier comes on the stage and announces that their ideas have to be turned into a basic play by the end of the week. There are groans, but Victor and Reed only seem satisfied. They share a hard look, and Loki's interest in Victor reawakens a bit.

He seems to have to thing for men who display their dominance, and it explains much of his crushes in the past and present. Particular that hulk of a boy Skurge and his stupid, brutish ways, and how Loki hardened at any word he said to him.

The class he's been dreading is Earth Science, and that reason is standing at the doorway when Loki and Victor arrive. Thor's normal happiness at seeing Victor seems almost nonexistent, and he only nods him a greeting.

Victor takes Loki hands before he leaves, his fingers brushing over the inside of Loki's wrist and sending gooseflesh up his arm. He flashes him a knowing smile and just like that Loki's interest in Victor is aflame again. He wasn't even fazed by the cool greeting, and that is just… sexy on its own.

He stares after Victor as he struts down the hallway and feels a grin coming to his lips.

"We should take our seats before the bell rings," Thor says behind him.

Loki nods automatically, turning around and going into the classroom with a smile on his face. He takes his seat and leans on his hand, thing of the look in Victor's eyes.

A voice inside of him is calling him a traitor, but he isn't betraying anyone. Thor is his step-brother, straight, and definitely not interested in Loki. Victor is a friend, possibly gay, and interested for sure. Why should he keep going after something he's never going to get?

For once during class, Thor doesn't sneak look at him. Instead, he spends the entire time leaning on his hand and looking forward with a disinterested face. Loki doesn't understand. Mrs. Munroe is beautiful, and Thor's a normal straight teenage boy. He should be ecstatic to have that to look at like how Loki is thankful for Professor Lehnsherr.

As he goes to free period, he thinks about the "head-job." Thor did not mean it sexually, so Loki shouldn't think of it that way. He should just allow himself to move on to Victor.

A new problem faces him when he steps into the newsletter room and Gwen is actually sitting at the desk. It's a first, and Loki knows exactly why. She's not even wearing her signature skirt, her legs covered in jeans as they sit on the surface of the desk. Wow, he did a number on her.

"You weren't here Friday," she says. "I thought you weren't coming back."

"No, I had an Earth Science trip," he replies. They're alone, and he does not feel threatened by the possibility that she wants to seduce him anymore. It's a relief even if the alternative is a look similar to the one she directed at Parker. "What am I to do today?"

"You're going to come with me," Pepper says as she comes through the doorway. "Um, sorry, Gwen, but I need to borrow him."

"It's fine with me," she replies. She didn't take his admission well at all.

He and Pepper venture to the gym for Ben Urich the student reporter, and by the grace of his flexibility and reflexes, he avoids getting pelted with dodge balls. Pepper hops up and down and speaks in fast, clipped sentences that Loki can only nod and reply, "mhm" to.

Gwen presides over the room of newsletter staff with a tight smile. "Our article for 'Student to Look Out For' is going to be due by the end of the month, so we should really get started. Today, we're just going to go over some students that you think would be great candidates."

It's all fine and well until Carol Danvers, the blonde from Loki's gym class, raises her hand and says the name, "Thor Odinson." She drops her hand, looking proud of herself when the other students seem to mumble in agreement.

It takes all of Loki's might not to jump on the table and declare that they're all uninformed and charmed and confused. Not so different from how he's feeling.

Pepper makes a noise of agreement. "Hm, did you know he's Loki's step-brother?"

He exhales and shuts his eyes before he can lose his mind. "I'm sure they know now," he replies.

"So you can like convince him to let us do this, right?" Loki doesn't know the boy's name, but now he wishes he does so he could curse it. "You two live together."

Kill me now, kill me now, Loki thinks as he grits his teeth and stares up at the ceiling. He can feel all of their eyes on him, and they expect him to agree. "If you choose him, yes."

"Next then?"

A girl raises her hand. "Victor von Doom."

Ha, it is definitely a ploy by the gods to get Loki to lose his sanity.

"He's already been it five times!" Ben exclaims. "Again already?"

"But it's because he is a student to look out for, Ben." She sends a glare his way and flicks some hair out of her face. "What do you two think?"

"He is quite brilliant," Loki says. They should choose Victor, not Thor. He does not want to ask Thor questions.

"Yeah, one of the smartest kids in the school, but Ben does have a point. We have a chance for some variety." Pepper shrugs. "Anymore?"

"Nope."

"Okay, so we have 'Susan Storm, Steve Rogers, Elizabeth Ross, Ethan Edwards, Scott Summers, Thor Odinson, and Victor von Doom' on our list. We should wait a week or so, and see if they've done anything that will make them particularly notable in the list before we make our decision. Anyone else got anything they want to put on the table?"

Everyone shakes their heads.

"Thank you all for coming. Great work!"

For the next few days, home life is remarkably similar to how it was Sunday, Loki shying away from contact with Thor. It's fine that way, he decides after dinner. He should keep it this way until he goes off to college.

He talks to Victor any chance he gets and ignores the looks of disapproval that his friends send his way when he leans in closer to Victor while they converse. Victor's become much more physical, touching Loki's arm when he says something or brushing the back of his hand against Loki's to get his attention during Creative Writing. In turn, Loki gets more physical, and he has to admit that the Thor-induced erections have gone away for the most part.

He's learned to avoid being alone in the same room with Thor. It's helped him not get painful hard-ons, and not having the chance to stare him down while their parents aren't around has diluted his fantasy material down to only fleeting images that are ingrained in his brain from thinking about them so much.

Thor still glares at Victor when he drops Loki off at Earth Science, and Victor still walks away unaffected by a look that would make most men run away with their tails between their legs. It's something that Loki actually looks forward to each day, seeing Victor walk away cockily and Thor fume not far away.

Is it because they've infected his mind with derision for Victor, or is it because Victor would rather romance Loki than fall into the ranks of admirers Thor's amassed in the past two weeks?

Does it matter?

Victor has depth. Victor is intelligent. Victor is dark and interesting.

What one sees with Thor, they get. Why would Loki waste his time vying for the impossible attentions of someone he'll get nothing from besides a hard, hard fuck that will leave him weak in the knees for days and burning for more of Thor and gods does Thor have so much to give…

Loki is better than Thor Odinson.

He's shampooing his hair, running his hands over the base of his scalp in a frustratingly pathetic mockery of that morning, when he opens his eyes and sees his phone alight with a text. Sighing and saying goodbye to the absolute beauty of the showerhead—and any chance of discharging that building urge—he rinses out his hair and gets out.

He stands there for a few moments to just adjust to steaminess and can barely see around him, the steam sticking to the mirror and hovering in the air like a thick fog. The steam is that thick, but it's not thick enough that when the door opens, Loki doesn't see it.

Loki's fast, but he's not that fast when he's under a haze of shower-induced bliss.

Thor is suddenly in the doorway of the bathroom, letting all of the steam and the warmth around Loki escape into the hallway, and Loki wants to rage at him for just that, but there's something more important to be furious with him at. Loki's stark—absolutely no pun intended—naked, and Thor is just standing there looking at him.

They stand there for a few milliseconds before Loki is grabbing his bath towel from the hook and pulling it over himself like it's any use. Thor's already seen everything although Loki hopes the steam obscured some of it. "Thor!" he screams as Thor just stands there, eyes wide and mouth slightly open in surprise. "Don't you understand the concept of knocking?"

He glances at Loki for a long moment before snapping out of his shock. Loki knows Thor just saw anotherboy naked, _ew_, but there's no need to act like he's seen something completely disgusting. Loki doesn't look _that_ bad even if he looks bad at all, which he's sure that he doesn't. He's actually very attractive although his aura seems to ward most people off. "Loki, I'm sorry. I didn't think that you were-"

"That's what, you weren't thinking! Gods, Thor, what did you expect to find?"

"I, I don't know, Loki. I'm sorry, okay?" He holds his hands up in surrender, and Loki just glares at him. "I hope that you forgive me in time for breakfast, which I'll be downstairs eating. See you then."

When the door closes, Loki lets out a strangled scream.

He dodges out of the bathroom and dresses as quickly as he can. He doesn't know why, but he has the urge to move fast, so he does. He moves faster than he has in a while and laces up his boots with one hand as he finishes drying his hair with the other. He thinks that if he stops for even one second, he might actually think about what just happened in there and what the ramifications are.

Thor's leaning against the kitchen counter when Loki comes downstairs, and he immediately perks up from where he is drinking some tea to come and follow Loki to the refrigerator. He bites down hard on his tongue from making some snide remark at Thor. Thor has seen him _naked_, and it's as if he's seen inside Loki's soul for a second.

"I have to say that you look a lot better naked," is the first thing that comes out of Thor's mouth, and Loki slams his head against the shelf as he reaches for the orange juice. Thor obviously has no filter if he thinks that that is an okay thing to say.

He kicks the door shut when he has had enough time to compose himself and scrambles as far away from Thor as possible. As he pours his orange juice, he decides to reply to Thor's… comment or compliment or whatever. "Thor, I really think that that wasn't an appropriate thing to say," he replies, keeping his voice as leveled as he can. It's hard, but he manages.

Thor cannot say things like that and expect Loki's plan to work. He has to try and get over Thor, dammit, and saying things like that are definitely not going to help him toward that goal. He's almost back to the starting line at this point.

"Why? Can't I share my opinions aloud? I wasn't insulting you, Loki. I was simply saying-"

"Yes, you can share your opinions, but not on that." Loki closes his eyes and inhales through his nose, repeating yoga mantras instead of Thor's words. His mind quickly comes up with some lie that sounds like a good excuse for Thor to never say anything like that again.

"See, you're always calling me 'brother,' and brothers usually don't say things like that to each other. They say things like 'did you watch that game of football' and talk about… girls. Not about each other's body. Of course unless they're not normal brothers, but that's… Thor, just don't ever do that again, alright?"

Loki sips his orange juice and chances a look at Thor who is looking at him with a cocked eyebrow. It's pretty insane that those words came from that mouth only a few moments ago.

"Yes, I guess you have a point," Thor replies. "I'll try my best to keep my, uh, more personal opinions to myself."

"Good," Loki says as he finishes his juice. "Now, let's go to school?"

The ride to school, Loki can sense the uneasiness from Thor even if he tries to project his usual confidence. It's the way he tiptoes over what he says or what he judges out of fear that Loki will lash out on him for it, and Loki almost feels bad, _almost_.

Jane Foster is sitting on the steps of the school when they pull up, and Loki's rage flares up before retreating back into the small, organized place in his mind where it waits to be released. It's probably seen as unhealthy in most psychiatric circles, but it makes for good motivation when the time comes.

Thor lights up at the sight of her, the uneasiness fading at once, and Loki resents her so much that it should be some kind of crime. He walks ahead of Loki to meet up with her, and the two fall into step together a few paces ahead of him. Loki should be happy that Thor is off of his hands, but he's not. He only feels incredibly useless.

He should be even more excited that Thor complimented him on his body, but it only feels like he said it to disarm Loki in retrospect. He did not mean that, could not have meant that. He's straight, and straight men don't say and mean things like that for the most part. Loki's sure that Thor would not be attracted to him even if he did vouch for the male loving male team. He's already seen Loki's various temperaments, and if that is not enough to ward a man of, then what is?

Steve turns up behind him just before Jane and Thor veer off to the left to go to Thor's locker, and Loki's thankful because he was not sure that he would be able to calm down the beast inside that wanted to march up to Jane Foster and lash out on her.

Loki does cast a look after the two of them, hoping that the resentment hits them and knocks them onto their asses, but they both remain unscathed. He does get something in return, a disapproving look from Steve.

"Loki... you really shouldn't look at your brother like that." Loki would be sure that he's talking about the lust thing, but it's Steve Rogers. "He's trying the best he can to have a good relationship with you."

He throws his head back in a bitter laugh. "I know, Steve, I know." He grabs his tablet and kicks his locker shut. "Thor is attempting to bridge the gap between us and forge a friendship, I know."

"Then why are you glaring at him like he's your elementary school bully?" That's oddly specific, and Loki knows there's some personal subtext under there. A story of Steve's own bullying? "You should lay off a bit."

He turns and sees that fierce look in Steve's eyes that make him seem so much larger than he is and concedes. Arguing with Steve is going to do nothing but make him look like more of an asshole. "You're right." He opens the door to Chemical and Physical Biology. "I'll stop."

It's a shame that Steve doesn't know how off base he is, and Loki wishes for a confidant to share all of his secrets to. There's no one he can truly trust yet, and he's managed thus far. He can make it on his own, solve his own problems.

Loki manages not to kill Jane Foster in Psychology by a miracle of fate and self-control. He thinks about it every time she opens her mouth and giggles at something Thor said, causing Thor to grin even wider, and he impatiently taps his fingers hard enough that Victor stops talking and just stares at Loki curiously.

Natasha does the same, but she figures it out soon enough, her eyes pointedly fixing on Jane behind him and back on Loki. She doesn't frown, but she doesn't smile either. He's unsure of what she's even thinking.

He's restless during Creative English as they work on the stage directions for the play, and he has nothing productive to offer besides the occasional suggestion to add facial expressions or emotional responses. Well, those are important, but Loki could offer so much more if Thor and that girl weren't on his mind.

He just does not understand. Thor compliments him on his nudity, and then he goes upon the rest of his day as if nothing happened with that giggling girl. It's all wrong, Loki decides as he goes to Earth Science. Thor's obviously completely oblivious and thick to what's going through Loki and sitting next to him is going to be sheer hell.

Victor senses his mood, but instead of retreating, he touches Loki's shoulder while staring him straight in the eyes, more intimate than any hug Victor could've though wouldn't have given him.

Thor wears the same expression, and Loki is satisfied.

Class is exactly as Loki thought it would be and more. The addition is Thor's silent seething beside him over the hug, and it brings joy to Loki that he's not the only person angry over a friend. There's a possibility, a very strong one, that Jane is not just a friend in Thor's eyes, so Loki has every right considering what he feels about Thor.

What does he feel about Thor?

He pushes the thought away and soaks in the anger radiating off of Thor.

It becomes a regular occurrence the next few days, Thor fuming after Victor caresses Loki, and Loki lets the negative emotion sooth his own resentment toward Jane. Soon he will reach some equilibrium. His plan of stopping pining after Thor is a possibility with the development.

It seems that the fuming does not carry on into their home lives though Thor is slightly hesitant when he talks to Loki. The chance of him seeing images of Loki and Victor in their own version pf an embrace is as high as the occurrence of Loki seeing the images of Jane and him engaged in close conversation.

But Loki is not jealous. He is simply resentful of the fact that Thor can move on so easily while he's stuck hopelessly lusting after him.

In Friday's Earth Science, they go back to Central Park.

Loki almost panics when he realizes that he's has no choice but to be alone with Thor, and he knows that all progress he's made will be gone within moments of them getting into the cab. He pauses for a moment before he opens the door and gets in, and opens the door when Mrs. Munroe gives them a confused look from the top of the stairs. He slides in, holding his breath.

The door shuts behind Thor and like that every step he's taken toward becoming Thor-proof is a distant memory. His hands clam up and all of the blood starts to rush downward. It's like clockwork.

He stifles a groan and stops himself from stomping around like a child.

They get out at the same spot and sit down at the same bench as before, the same bench where Thor wiped the ketchup off his mouth.

"We should start working," Thor says, setting down his tablet on the space between them. He looks up at Loki, and his eyes are absolutely wondrous in the light. How has Loki controlled himself so well?

He doesn't trust himself to speak, so he just nods.

Thor begins discussing the wind patterns and rainfall measurements for Central Park, looking up at Loki every once in a while. He definitely knows what he's talking about, and it's a trait that Loki finds extremely attractive in anyone not just Thor though said in Thor's voice... He wants to sprawl out on this bench and offer himself to Thor while he goes on and on about how the plant life reacts to the pollutants from the city in the rain, but he only grips the bench and nods along.

About halfway through talking about ducks, Thor stops and suggests that they talk a walk. He stands up, tucking the tablet under his arm, and gives Loki an expectant look.

He climbs to his feet and goes to Thor's side, keeping a good amount of space between them, so the temptation to touch will not be as strong.

"For our presentation, we should use the plant life as a theme," Loki says. He needs to talk about something relevant, or he thinks he might end up spouting off about the planes of Thor's body. "It's central to our project."

"Then I'll entrust that to you," he replies. "You're the creative one."

He looks over at Thor, raising an eyebrow. "Where'd you conclude that from?"

"You."

He snorts. "Obviously. I mean… what have I done that deems me creative?"

"Well, for one you are on newsletter, and Gwen Stacy makes it known that you are quite helpful," he says, and he turns and gives Loki as mischievous look. "And Farbauti has shown me some of your artwork from when you were younger. I'll admit that I've never seen a green cat with reindeer horns."

He's going to slaughter his mother for this. Why does she think that everyone needs to see the remnants of Loki's childhood boredom? Those drawings and paintings were simply doodles of his not meant to be shared with anyone other than his mother. It seems that she's unaware.

He is not embarrassed, but he's definitely not happy about Thor having seen that. "I had an eye for design," he replies. "It was… cute."

Thor smiles, and Loki looks away. "Only someone with creativity could come up with something so unique." He stops smiling, and he puts a hand on Loki's shoulder, halting their progress forward. "You're unique."

He tilts his head to look up at Thor, and the fondness in his eyes is unmistakable. It feels as if they should have been talking about old times they played in the sandbox before they grew older and realized they were destined for one another. Loki has a feeling that he's returning the look, and it's all so exasperating.

The effect one man has on him is more than the effect of any of the other people he's ever held a fancy for in his lifetime put together. Thor's undoing the seams that hold Loki together stitch by stitch, and somehow he's already gotten to unwinding the backstitching. He's almost complete, and it hasn't even been a month.

"Same to you," he replies.

Thor drops his hand and turns around, Loki doing the same. They both walk to the entrance of the park where Thor hails a cab.

They don't talk during the cab ride, but it feels as if the silence is filled with words, tons of them. Some of them are about feelings and others are about desires. Loki wonders if Thor is experiencing the same thing, the loud silence, and he wants to ask but prevents himself from doing so. If Thor only hears silence, Loki's knowledge of Thor's obliviousness and romantic disinterest will only be reconfirmed.

Loki follows Thor to his locker, having left his tablet in his, and watches as he opens it, the muscles in his arm moving under his skin. It's fascinating that a person can seem so perfect, and Loki would be envious of Thor if he weren't too busy lusting after him. He guesses that it's better than the alternative though.

He accepts that his plan to minimize contact with Thor has failed and doesn't bother trying to recreate another plan that will inevitably fail.

He spends Friday night on his computer watching _Wallander_ reruns and just moping about his fate to pine hopelessly after Thor. Around 2:00, he sneaks downstairs for a snack and sees that Thor is in the living room watching some documentary on National Geographic. His attempt to be as quiet as possible fails when the refrigerator door shuts on its own as he chops up his celery a few feet away.

"Loki?" Thor calls, and Loki swears under his breath, cursing the refrigerator and whoever built it.

He sighs. "Yes?"

Thor appears in the archway, his pants slung so low on his hips that Loki can see the V of his abdomen. He thinks that he should tell Thor to drop them, claiming that it's only fair he sees Thor naked but thinks better of it.

He turns back to chopping his celery. "Why are you awake?" he asks to fill the silence.

"I couldn't sleep," he replies, and there's movement as he pads across the kitchen floor toward Loki. "And you?"

"Same for me." He feels himself shifting away as Thor comes near, and he tries to chop faster.

"Then join me in my solitude."

Loki stops chopping and looks over at Thor, hair tucked behind his ears, and a loose lock hangs next to his temple. It takes him all of his self-restraint not to reach out and brush it back. He clears his throat and sees that Thor is waiting for an answer. "I—I should try to get to sleep."

Disappointment flashes across Thor's eyes, and he brushes against Loki's back as he comes to his side. He's seen Loki naked, and even the separation of clothes feels like nothing now. A hand comes up and fingers stroke down the back of Loki's head. Not this again. It's as if Thor knows what he's doing. "What are you making?"

Inhaling to calm himself, he replies, "Celery and peanut better. Why?"

Thor steals a stalk of celery of the cutting board and dips it into the small dish of peanut butter. Loki cranes his neck to follow the food to Thor's mouth as his lips curve around the cylindrical shape. His eyes meet Loki's as he chews, and he makes a sound of satisfaction. "Good."

"I know." He means for it to come out sharp, but it only sounds soft and unfocused. It's clear that Loki's not really paying attention to anything but the way Thor's eating.

His hand drops from Loki's hair, and all blood returns to its proper place. "I'll see you in the morning."

Loki nods as he flees up to his room with his snack clutching to his chest. He doesn't immediately eat, taking a breath of calming so he doesn't end up choking to death while his mind is preoccupied with Thor.

He struggles to find a proper position to sleep in, and when he's woken up by the shock of cold air hitting his legs, he feels like more miserable than he did before he went to sleep.

The sight of Thor standing in front of him, arms crossed and expression amused, somehow doesn't surprise him at all. Only Thor dares to wake him up like that. "I'm going to the gym," he says.

Loki blinks blearily, trying to clear out the lingering fog of sleep, and as he wakes up more, he finds that there's something sitting uncomfortable between his legs and sticking into the bed. He shifts a bit and a jolt of pleasure rockets up his spine. Yes, morning wood.

He is not in the mood to move at all. He wishes to burrow his way back into his blankets and fall back asleep. Why is Thor even telling him this? He does not care that much.

His eyes start to close again.

"Loki, it wasn't a request for you to come." Thor moves to the door. "I was informing you."

The door shuts behind Thor, and Loki stares at it with incredulity being the main feeling on his mind. He absolutely abhors being commanded what to do, and Thor is no different even if he does hold a spell over Loki that Loki finds himself trying to fight and failing. No man, save for his mother, can command Loki-

"Loki!" It's Thor peering back into the bedroom. "Get up. Now."

With a groan that turns in a whine of dissatisfaction, Loki gets to his feet. He is not listening to Thor because he is his superior. No, he is doing this because he would rather not have to deal with Thor's incessant complaints about Loki's noncompliance.

He pulls on pants and a t-shirt he uses for yoga, grabbing his mat and slinging it over his shoulder. If Thor expects him to life weights or whatever, Loki's going to be ecstatic to inform him that he does what he wants, and he does not have to do that. If he wants to contort his body in rhythm to his breaths, he shall.

In an afterthought, Loki pulls his hair back, and he grabs his sweatshirt. He opts for sneakers instead of his usual boots and grumbles as he does so, the footwear feeling much more vulnerable than his boots. Again, he's doing this because he does not want to hear him complain, not because Thor is in control of him.

Thor waits down in the entrance hall like some kind of boy in a movie waiting for his date, and Loki snorts and rolls his eyes when Thor smiles up at him. He thinks that he has some kind of dominance over Loki that he can use to make him do what he wants, but Loki does what _he_ wants… except for the having sex with Thor part.

He storms out of the house and hails a taxi, seething the entire ride to Thor's gym of choice.

When they arrive, Thor leads the way to the front desk, handing two membership cards to the concierge.

"I got you one," he says over his shoulder.

Loki grits his teeth. "How thoughtful of you."

There are too many people at the gym for it being so early, and Loki wants to scream at them all that they clearly do not understand the concept of sleeping in. They're already sweaty and panting from their places in the gym, and it's 7:00 in the morning!

"You should-"

"Where's a place where I can do my yoga?" he asks, cutting Thor off.

Thor stares at him for a moment, eyebrows raised. "Behind the glass over there is a room," he replies as he points toward the wall of glass on the far end of the room. "There are no classes right now, but-"

"I won't need one." He's already stalking off before Thor can finish. Thor underestimates Loki's knowledge far too often, he decides as he opens the door and slips inside. He's not some child in need of guidance.

He rolls his mat out close to the glass, and he realizes how great the view is from there. There are some particularly attractive men around here, and it doesn't surprise him since it is a gym. He can possibly forgive Thor for this. Speaking of Thor, he's starting the treadmill, and Loki automatically rolls his eyes. It seems that is going to be a permanent action for him if Thor is going to be in his life.

Loki pulls his sweatshirt off and puts his earphones in his ears, tapping on a playlist composed of high tempo electronic music. He's going to need a high energy session to keep him awake.

He launches into his first sun salutation, turning up the pace to coincide with the tempo of the music. He presses his weight into his feet while in the downward dog pose, inhaling and exhaling five times before leaping forward. He finishes the last pose and goes into sun salutation b, arching his back while in upward facing dog, and he gives a moan of relief as his back and abdominal muscles stretch.

One of his eyes happens to crack open, and said eye happens to notice that Thor is watching him as he runs on the treadmill, his earphones in. He's staring at Loki with a bewildered expression, and that part of Loki that's been getting him deeper and deeper into the hole takes over, and he does his poses with renewed gusto.

He admits that lowering chaturanga is not supposed to consist of practically humping the ground, but he cannot be blamed for exaggerating. He's trying to get the best stretch, alright?

The song changes and with it, Loki drops all attempts at Loki like he's _just_ doing yoga. He mimics along with the lyrics as he transitions into wide leg forward bend, and oh does he bend, purposely changing his position so his ass his facing the window. He makes eye contact with the Thor, and Thor trips on the treadmill, only managing to hop off in the last moment before he's on his stomach.

He doesn't stop though. No, Thor's going to pay for acting like he has not seen Loki naked. He wants Thor to imagine him naked and more, and he knows that it's a long shot, but he's feeling pretty confident. He presses deeper into the wide leg forward bend, and he gives a silent moan of relief at the feeling of his muscles being stretched.

Thor's staring at him wide-eyed, and Loki feels that it's a mission accomplished.

He walks back into the main gym with a smirk on his lips as he stares at Thor scratching the back of his neck, obviously flustered.

"You know how to grab others' attention," Thor says, opening the door for Loki.

The cool air feels amazing. "Did you enjoy the show?" he asks.

When Thor only raises his hand for a cab, Loki begins to laugh. Oh yes, sweet, sweet revenge. It tastes best wrapped in tall blond and given a garnish of sheepishness.


	4. Chapter 4

h2 style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7;" style="font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span!-[endif]-Steve Rogers: Petite Defender?!/h2  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's learned that when Thor is awkward, he's extremely awkward, and it's one of those things that are hard to miss. After the show at the gym, Thor is so awkward that Loki has to carry his side of the conversation when Thor is usually the one carrying Loki's. He just sits shooting glances at Loki, reddening in the cheeks each time he does, and Loki finds himself staring hard out of the cab window to suppress the laugh that dies to come out.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"By Monday morning, Thor is back to his usual boisterousness, and Loki's relieved as he turns his back to pour his orange juice. He doesn't have to worry about Thor sneaking glances at Loki and blushing. Loki can only guess what Thor is thinking: 'he's so gay' or some variant of that.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"After that, Loki's sure that there's no doubt in Thor's mind of Loki's homosexuality, and it seems that Thor may not be entirely comfortable about it. Some people have different reactions, and Thor's reaction is the quiet, uncomfortable kind. To the alternative of being taunted ruthlessly, it's somewhat better, but considering it is Thor that would be more of characteristic of his personality.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He turns around to watch Thor drink his tea and smiles into his glass at Thor leaning on his elbow and staring at Loki like he usually does. Thor's just so odd. Loki's not one to talk, but, well, he's not like other boys, is he?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve's in a good mood when Loki meets him in the entrance hall, but he doesn't hesitate to give Loki another one of his disapproving looks when Loki frowns at how Thor immediately gravitates to a waiting Jane. "Loki, remember what I told you," he says in a threatening tone, and how can a boy of his size sound like that? span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes out his residual anger on his locker, slamming it open and pointedly looking at Steve as he does so. "I remember, Steve," he replies. "It's not as easy as it looks, alright?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They start off for Chemical and Physical Biology, Loki trying his hardest not to glance down Corridor D when they turn into the opposite one. He could try to heed Steve's advice even if it is almost entirely off base. Loki isn't hating Thor. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's hating Jane Foster.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve seems to forget his crusade to make Loki feel something akin to guilt when he sees a woman in blue military fatigues bearing the SHIELD Eagle and the United States flag on her breast and she flashes a rouge-lipped smile at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Cadet Rogers, good to see you on this fine morning," she says, accent ever so posh.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Miss Carter, it's good to see you too." He clearly means it, smile coy and cheeks flushed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Miss Carter extends her hand. "Lieutenant Colonel Margaret Carter, it's always pleasure to meet one of Steven's friends. Loki, yes?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She turns to Steve. "I actually came to have a word with you. Anthony wasn't very helpful when I asked of your whereabouts yesterday, or I would've spoken with you then."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yeah, Tony can be…" He rubs the back of his neck. "Um, so, what do you want to talk about?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A slight glance from Miss Carter, and Loki takes his cue to grant Steve his own schoolboy fantasy.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki knows the joy far too well. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hello, Professor Lehnsherr," he says at the sight of his teacher leaning against his desk as usual. He's only grown more and more attractive through the days, and Loki's finding it hard to actually pay attention to his lectures. They're still on Carbon due to interruptions from Reed's attempts to find faults in Professor Lehnsherr's words. It turns out that Reed is being pedantic most of the time or an asshole.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr nods as he replies, "Hm, emGuten morgenem, Loki," and how can German sound so sexy. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bruce and Reed come in just before the bell ring, and Professor Lehnsherr doesn't even spare their excuses any of his attention. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're being unreasonable!" Reed says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Since everyone is here, we should begin," Professor Lehnsherr says, ignoring Reed. "Today-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Wait, wait, wait for us!" Stark comes through the door, Victor and the boy Hank Pym behind him. "We're here!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stark, von Doom, Pym, what are you three doing here?" Professor Lehnsherr asks. He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. "Actually, I don't care. Go take your seats."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""But he's in my seat," Tony says, gesturing to Loki. "You just gave it up like I was never going to come back!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I was hoping you weren't." He makes a hand gesture behind Loki. "Sit back there somewhere. Hurry up."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A hand brushes over the desk in front of Loki, and Loki glances up to see Victor smiling. "Good morning, Loki," he says in a tone that makes Loki's pants get slightly tighter.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hello, Victor," he replies.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor goes and takes his seat, and Loki bites his bottom lip to stop from smiling.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr cocks an eyebrow in his direction, and Loki realizes that he saw their little exchange. Loki isn't ashamed. He's… proud.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bruce gives Loki a dark look, and Loki almost falls out of his chair in fright. "You and von Doom, huh?" he asks. He sighs and runs a hand over his face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He wants to shout at Bruce to give him an explanation for this hatred that all of his friends seem to think is okay to aim at Victor. They all seem to disapprove of their relationship, which isn't even official as of now, but they don't even give Loki any reason as to why. He's not going to listen to them without any proof of whatever makes him worthy of their distaste.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Somewhere at the beginning of Professor Lehnsherr's talk, there is a hard kick at the bottom of Loki's chair, and it's not especially fun having the hard metal jarred under his ass. He does not have enough fat to absorb the shock, and he's not going to gain any anytime soon.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's only one person who would out of the three that just came in, and Loki has a itching suspicion Stark's the one sitting behind him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's another kick, and Loki grits his teeth to stop from shouting at him to stop.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The next time, Loki is prepared, and he grabs the foot underneath his chair before it can land.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Calmly, he holds on to the foot and listens to Professor Lehnsherr talk or more accurately, look at him talk. The foot struggles in his grasp, but he's clearly stronger than Tony. It's a nice fact to know. Stark should watch himself now that Loki knows how comparatively weak he is.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Let… go!" Stark hisses as he jerks his foot.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki smirks as he keeps his grip firm.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki! Stop with your mischief!" There's a chuckle. "Oh god, I've always wanted to say that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr stops talking and turns to glare at Tony. "Stark, what is wrong with you other than the obvious?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm wounded by your words, Lehnsherr," he replies. "Tell Loki to let go of my foot."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I would if you didn't think it was okay to keep kicking the bottom of my chair," Loki says. "Until then, I think I am fine keeping your foot in my possession."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""With the occasional outburst from Richards, our class has gone fairly smoothly. Now that you are here, Stark, it has been derailed. Last year, if you recall, our class was known for its…. eccentricity, but this year it will not be. Now, Loki, would you please release Stark's foot, and if he does attempt to kick your chair again, do not hesitate to pull him from his seat and onto his ass." Professor Lehnsherr grins. "Now, to continue…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki drops Tony's foot, wiping the rock residue on Tony's pant leg before he can pull it back.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"After that, class goes on normally, and Loki thinks that Tony has realized that he's annoying until he hears the sharp sound of hissing behind him. It's the annoying "psst" that people gave in primary school, and Loki hasn't heard it since then. Of course Stark would be the one to still use it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span lang="SV" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: SV;""Psst, Loki! Psst, Lok-master! spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Psst, Thor's love-"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What?" he snaps, turning around to glare at Tony. He knew what he was doing when he said that, and oh how Loki hates him for it. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stark!" Professor Lehnsherr warns. "Can you try not to be a menace for once in your life?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh… I'm not even being a menace, okay?" Tony looks affronted. "I'm trying to talk to a friend about something very important, professor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then, what?" he replies. "Feel free to share it with the class then."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony frowns. "Rude," he says, but he leans forward over the desk. "Okay, so Halloween is two Wednesdays from now, and you know what? We don't have costumes! What is that?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's celebrated "Alla Helgons Drag" back in Sweden. He knows that they celebrate it in America on the 31st, and it's not considered a holiday. When he was younger, he dressed up, but recently he's only stayed home, really appreciating the holiday for the days off of school it granted him. He never put much thought into what he was going to do for the holiday here. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Of course Tony has.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Halloween," he says, testing out the word in his mouth. "What does my costume have to do with you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, Stark, what does it?" Professor Lehnsherr asks. "You're awfully involved in others' lives."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""So what? We're best friends,"—scoff-worthy—"so I'm allowed to! Anyway, we need to talk about this at lunch." He turns around and points to Natasha in the back. "Clint's totally going to be for this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She sighs. "I know he is."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony turns back to him. "Bruce, you're for this, right?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Um-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good, we're all in agreement! Group costume then!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In Ancient History, Tony talks to Steve about his costume ideas, and Steve only nods along. Loki tries to pay attention to what spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"Dr./spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" Lactus is saying, but every few sentences, Tony hisses his name with some ideas he has for what Loki should be. When the bell rings, Loki leaps from his chair and heads straight for the lunch room without waiting for them. Tony can be so… suffocating./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When they are all seated around the table, Tony stands up with his hands held out like he's just discovered something so amazing when Loki already knows it's just Halloween costume ideas. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I, Tony Stark, have used my genius brain to come up with the best idea in this century behind free porn"—Steve groans—"and it is that we are going to be going as a group on Halloween."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh my god." Clint stands up and makes a flailing motion with his hands. "That's fucking genius, Stark. Oh my fucking toast and cheese, you—I want to kiss you, but you're a guy, and I'm not gay, and you're really weird. What the f—how did I not come up with this first? Wow, I mean, this is just great. Justice League. We're the fucking Justice League."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony nods erratically, and Loki thinks that there is going to be some mating ritual between the two for a second. The only thing stopping them is the table. "Fuck yes we are. We're the mother fucking Justice League!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, you're not!" someone shouts, and it sounds a lot like Harry.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, we are, bitch!" Clint shouts back. "Group costumes are the best. Oh fuck me on Tuesday! This shit is going to be so fucking dope."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Halloween?" Thor lifts an eyebrow, and Loki looks away to stop from leaping into his lap. "As in 'Alla Helgons Drag?'" he asks, and it's obviously directed at Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods. "Yes, they're celebrating it on the 31supstsup here."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're costuming as a group then? Good."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You are all insane," Bruce says, "except for Natasha. She's the only sane person here other than me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hm, thanks, Bruce."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, thank you, Bruce," Loki says sarcastically.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What? You' seem okay with this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He has no idea where Bruce deduced that from because Loki is not keen on dressing up as some other person and going door to door in search of artificial sugar. They have school that day, which means that Loki will be already drained from human interaction. He'll have to recharge extra to make up for all of that socialization.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Which reminds him, how have none of them come to their senses about his incompatibility as a friend? They're all insane, Natasha and Bruce included.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not," he replies, poking at his salad with disinterest. "I would rather be at home sleeping."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Too bad because you're coming, Loki, like it or not," Tony says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We'll drag your skinny ass out that door," Clint adds.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You won't defend me?" he asks Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor shrugs. "I look forward to seeing you in a costume."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Traitor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Xavier lets them continue on scripting their plays, and they've already gotten past the stage of basic stage directions and lines. Now it's time for them to add emotion to the play because it is awfully bleak and emotionally detached—Reed thinks this is a good thing, and Victor chuckles.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Reed and Victor turn out to be bad at the whole adding of emotions, and Tony has declared himself and Clint in charge of the fighting scenes, so it falls to Natasha, Steve, and Loki to do it. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As a trio, the three of them work fairly efficiently with Loki being in charge of the emotional dialogue, Natasha with the body language, and Steve the tone of voice. The others sit around and watch silently, Reed interjecting much unneeded commentary every few pages and ending up silenced by a glare from Natasha. Loki thinks that he may be feeling a bit useless, which Loki does not disagree with. Playwriting is obviously not a strength of his.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The walk to Earth Science is filled with blatant flirting from Victor's side, and Loki can only reciprocate with enthusiasm. Victor's good at flirting, the opposite of the cheesy one-liners that people use on television, and more similar to the chivalrous men of the early 1900's. Loki's not a maiden in need of protection, but he doesn't complain.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And this is your stop," Victor says as they reach the door. Thor's not there, and Loki can't deny the disappointment in his chest. "It saddens me to see you go, but-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns to go inside, grinning. "You love to watch me leave?" he asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor erupts into laughter. "No, I wouldn't say something so clichéd, but I must admit that is true." He runs a hand down Loki's arm. "I was going to say that I looked forward to the next time that I was going to see you, but… it's hard to follow that up."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It is really." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor takes his hand and draws it up to his mouth and kisses it, butterflies swarming in Loki's stomach. "Until the next time?" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods, pulling his hand away. "Yes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When he goes inside the classroom, his mouth breaks out into a grin. Victor is just so…. He can't properly describe the boy, and that's actually a good thing. He sits down in his seat, and he's still grinning at the ghost touch on his hand.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Wow, someone's smiley today," Scott says. "Who swept you off your feet?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki chuckles. "Uh…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, Scott, don't pressure him," Jean says. "We were both like that when we first started dating."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""How long?" Loki hears himself ask. He doesn't care that much, but he needs something to talk about before he loses his mind.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Since Freshman year so…" Jean starts counting.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Four years," Scott answers. "Only four years, but it feels like forever."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh my god, get a room!" Kitty says. She turns around in her seat to look at Loki. "They're always like this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And what about you and Bobby, huh?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We do get a room."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, too much info, Kat," Scott says, putting a hand in front of his sunglasses.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor takes his seat next to Loki, and he's grinning as well. The sight of his grin wipes Loki's away, and the feeling on his hand vanishes completely as if Victor never touched him or kissed him. "Hello, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods him a greeting and turns to face forward. There's only one person that could make Thor happy like that, and she's short and "adorable." Gods, why her of all people? She doesn't seem like anything special, and she's always talking about the stars or planets. What can Thor see in a girl who is always talking about wanting to leave earth?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The question nags at him the duration of class, and as he walks the halls to newsletter. He takes the long way just so he can have time to think about the "good" traits in Jane Foster. Okay, she's remotely… attractive, he can admit that. Her adorability is possibly inclusive of that, but Thor could see them as two separate traits. Maybe he has a thing for "adorable" girls with aspirations for the stars. It doesn't seem like a thing Loki would look for if he were Thor though. That has to be some kind of precursor to her wanting to explore the world like some nomad. Thor needs stability, and dreaming to going to the stars is not a good sign for any stability in that relationship.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He says hello to Gwen who only gives him a hard look in return and flops down at the table, putting his face in his hands. He's obsessing over his step-brother's love life, and not because he's concerned. It's because he's selfish and desires Thor for himself. Yet he doesn't want Thor at the same time. He needs to get his mind together.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki solves his problem the one way he knows how to, avoidance and distractions. He tries to focus on Victor only, and when his mind slips to Thor, he changes the image back to him. It's harder than most things Loki has ever done, but it helps him when he sees Thor run to Jane in the mornings. He just imagines Victor and puts on a smile. Steve still gives him the same look, but he doesn't make any comments.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"At lunch on Thursday, Clint and Natasha aren't there first, and that's the first sign to Loki that something is about to happen. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sits down at the table with a sigh and doesn't bother trying to eat his lunch. He has no idea what is about to happen or when, so he feels like he shouldn't take the risk of having food in his mouth. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor sits down beside him, brushing his hand across Loki's shoulder in a greeting and starts to bring his hamburger up to his mouth when Loki stops him with a hand on his wrist. He lifts his eyebrows in confusion, and Loki gestures to the empty seats across from him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Clint and Natasha aren't here first," he says, and it's enough for Thor to understand, setting his food back down on the table.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I wonder where they are."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I do too."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bruce sits down at the table, and immediately notices the vacant seats. "Um, what the hell?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We wonder the same thing, Bruce," Thor says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve and Tony arrive not long afterward, Tony carrying both their trays and wearing those stupid sunglasses of his. Loki wonders if there is any inspiration derived from Scott Summers. He wouldn't put it past Tony to wear them with the argument that Scott can—Scott has some eye condition—so he should be able to as well.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Natasha and Clint are AWOL," Tony says. "This can't be good."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We have arrived!" Clint is walking to their table with a white poster board tucked under his arm. Natasha is walking next to him with a disinterested look. "No cause to worry. We're here."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha sits down, but Clint remains standing, poster board still under his arm.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Ladies and gentleman, I have created something genius," he says, and he opens the poster board in front of him. He puts the board on the table next to Bruce, angling it so they can all see it. "I have birthed the universe."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Was God a good fuck then?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve slaps Tony in the side of the head. "Don't talk like that!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Jeez, Steve, sorry for offending you." Tony holds his hands up in surrender. "I forgot that you and Barnes attended church on Sundays."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki starts to look at what's on the poster board, and he finds that he is not thrilled. There are costumes, drawings with fabric swatches and notes plastered on the board in a fairly organized fashion, and Loki knows that Clint put a lot of work into this. He appreciates hard work as much as the next person, and he hates to see it wasted even more. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You really put a lot of effort into that," Bruce says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Damn right I did. Now, turn your attention to the top left corner of the board where I will begin." Clint clears his throat. "Okay, we have a drawing of a Batman costume here with a few swatches of the material that will go best with this costume. Tony is going to be Batman of course."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Who else was I gonna be?" Tony asks, and he's completely serious. "Genius, Billionaire, playboy, philanthropist-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You sound so full of yourself, Tony," Steve says. "Two out of three of those are not good traits to brag about."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Not bragging, Steve. Just saying."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Can I continue!?" Clint shouts. "Okay, good, now Steve is going to be Superman because he is our all-American boy, and those blue eyes will just go well with Superman's colors."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good, Superman and Batman are best friends," Tony says. "We're best friends, so that works out."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I, Clint Barton, am going to be Green Arrow because—well, duh, we're like the same person. Natasha is going to be Wonder woman-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""How convenient," she says, sounding bored. "The only female member of the Justice League, and I'm here."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're a total badass and kind of scary, so who else would you be?" Clint beams at her. "Bruce, you, I spent a lot of time on this one. Okay, you're going to be Davis Bloome aka Doomsday. He's not comic canon, but he's on emSmallvilleem, and I think you fit him pretty well."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're calling me a secret psychopathic monster?" Bruce asks, and Clint tenses. Bruce shrugs, and Clint relaxes again. "Fair, I guess."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're going to go as Davis Bloome, but you're going to wear red contacts and some prosthetic horns because that's awesome."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I obviously have no say in this, so okay."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thor, you are going to be Green Lantern. I mean, you're fit as hell, and hot as hell too, so who else is hot enough to measure up to you? Yes, they have to measure up to you because you're that hot." Clint turns and looks at Loki. "And no, I'm not flirting with him if you think that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki opens his mouth to ask Clint why he feels the need to clarify with him, but Natasha sends a look in his direction that says that he knows exactly why.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I really, really think that you should consider wearing a suit much similar to the one he wears in the comics because the ladies will flock to us in droves if you do, and we all know how much Stark would appreciate that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Gee, thanks for talking about me like that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You know it's the truth though, Starky-poo. It should be lycra. Now, Loki, you are going to be our resident Superman villain General Zod. You guys could be twins, both want to take over the world and have some serious superiority complexes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki scoffs. He does not have a superiority complex. He just happens to know that he is better than most people.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Also, you're really evil on the inside."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He rolls his eyes and gives Clint a sweet smile. "Thank you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're taking inspiration from the emSmallville emversion of Zod since you're both ridiculously good-looking. You're going to wear his General uniform which is in the sketch. It's pretty gaudy, but I always thought Zod was a little gay, you know"—Clint grins—"and here we have your aggressively gay brother!"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor cocks an eyebrow and smiles at Clint. "What are you talking about? Loki's not gay?" Thor turns to him and sees that Loki is not grinning. "You're gay?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki wants to laugh so hard that he's dragged off to an asylum. He was sure that Thor knew after the episode at the gym, but it turns out that Thor is entirely too oblivious for his own good. His entire life he's been hounded for his obvious homosexuality, which is really just his natural poise and effeminacy. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He nods because he isn't going to say that out loud when everyone except for Thor knows.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I thought it was obvious," Clint says, and Natasha nods hesitantly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, I didn't know," Thor says sheepishly. "I didn't want to assume. Assumptions can be wrong."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""But they can be right too," Tony says as he raises his drink.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why? Does it bother you or...?" Loki stares at Thor, checking for any of the usual signs of disgust, the twitch to the lips, wide eyes, and slight frown. Thor just looks extremely confused.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, I just wish that you'd told me," he replies. "I like being out of the loop as much as you do."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony claps and grins like a maniac. "And now ladies and gentleman we have made progress." He nudges his shoulder into Loki's and winks. "Haven't we?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're not the actual Justice League, but we're part of the Justice League and some villains of the Justice League. It's actually better if you ask me," Clint says. He folds the poster board and takes it from the table, taking his seat next to Natasha. "All of the other kids are going to be so jealous of us."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They already are," Tony says. "We're awesome."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"On their weekly trip to Central Park for Earth Science, it turns out that the weather is taking a turn for the cool, and Loki laments not bringing his jacket. He hugs his arms to himself as he and Thor walk through the paths, Thor stopping every few steps to pet some dog as Loki looks on with suppressed affection buzzing around his body. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor notices after he finishes complementing the coat of some Labradoodle, and he questions Loki if he is cold in a demanding tone like Loki's done something wrong.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki rolls his eyes when Thor moves to put his arm around his body and starts to insist that he's fine, but Thor gives him a warning look that shuts him up and sends some blood down South. His body relaxes into Thor's touch, and all of the cold seems to cease like it was never there. Somewhere in the back of Loki's mind, he thinks that his body wasn't really cold but knew that pretending to be would get his attention. He's unsure, but he finds that he does not mind the extra heat that Thor's transferring to him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They walk in silence, and Loki can't help but find the whole situation slightly romantic. He's forced to lean against Thor, and Thor's arm is slung over his shoulder in a way that is definitely not platonic. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It turns out that others think so too.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A small old woman with two beagles passes them, smiling. "Aren't you two the cutest couple," she says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki bursts out into laughter as Thor's eyebrows rocket up to his hairline, looking completely surprised.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That's funny to you?" Thor questions, and he looks mildly offended, which Loki doesn't understand. It is funny since Thor is straight, and Loki is gay, and there is no way that they'd ever… be a couple. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, actually, itis," he replies. "It's ironic that the day you find out that I'm gay we get called a gay couple. Too bad she doesn't know that we're not, and we're step-brothers-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's phone goes off in his pocket. "Sorry," he replies before he holds the phone up to his ear. "Oh, hey, Luke!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki crosses his arms and regards the passersby with cordial politeness, Thor's low rumble of a voice recalling thoughts he banishes to moments in the shower or appearances in his dreams. Thor's as impossible now as he was a week ago, and Loki is far too realistic to allow himself the comfort of delusion. Straight men like Thor, hulks of men, snap before they bend.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He startled when he feels a chest press to his back and a chin rest on his shoulder, and his body leans back for a moment because this could be one of the only chances Loki gets to entertain thoughts of them in this position sans clothes, and Loki isn't quite sure he wants to test the limit of the crotch of his rather right jeans.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What are you looking at?" Thor asks, his voice vibrating on Loki's shoulder. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sighs and smiles sadly. "People," he says before he slides away from Thor and turns to him. "Are you ready to go?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pushes all of his stupid feelings back until he makes it home. He goes to sleep, waking up the next morning with a clearer mind. The feelings are still there, waiting to burst out at the wrong moment, but he eats breakfast robotically, avoiding actually looking into Thor's eyes. He only stares blankly into those eyes, and he resists the urge to actually analyze them. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Around 5:00, there's a knock on the door, and Loki's surprised to open it and find Odin. They've had minimal interaction outside of the occasional group breakfast and dinner, and Loki doesn't think anything about him. He's simply the man who his mother married, and Thor's father who has a penchant for stroking his chin during stories. He's extremely massive and very in shape for a man of his age. He's usually at work most of the time anyway.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki," he says, stepping into his room without even asking. Loki does not like that at all.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Odin," he replies, sitting down on his bed. Odin towers over him even more, but he isn't intimidated as he should be. He's only annoyed by his overwhelming presence. "What can I do for you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I came to simply talk to you. I see that you and Thor have become fairly acquainted?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods, his nostrils flaring. He cannot help that he is not comfortable with discussing Thor with him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I also see that the two of you are not quite… familiar with each other. It burdens me to see that Thor restrains himself in fear of pushing you further, which I must admit does not seem likely." Odin goes to Loki's desk and peers down at the framed picture of his mother. "My son is a very empathetic person, and in being so, watches how he acts too closely to be quite relaxed. I would be greatly pleased if you were to make the same effort to familiarize yourself with Thor as he has tried with you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki clenches his jaw in an attempt not to snap at Odin to go fuck himself and inhales deeply to calm down. Odin's trying to force the relationship between Loki and Thor, but he doesn't know that outside of his watchful gaze they are actually friendly. His method is not one that Loki would choose himself unless he was looking to push Loki away.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You want me to spend time with him?" Loki asks. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin's face breaks out into a smile. "Yes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stares at Odin for moment, thinking of whether he should tell Odin of his error. He thinks better of it. "Okay, I understand," he replies. "I will try."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good. I'm happy we had this talk," he says, walking to the door. "I will see you at dinner."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When the door shuts behind Odin, Loki stands, enraged at the gall Odin has to think he can simply say something and have it done. Loki listens to no man, and especially this man who is a mere of shadow of what his father was.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He lifts his fist to smash the middle of his desk but stops himself when he realizes that he's thinking with his fists instead of his mind. He's better than that, always has been, and it's what's distinguished him from his peers. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There have been some good things that have come from the marriage.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Like Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He intentionally stares at Odin during dinner, chewing hard as he watches him talk. Odin stares at him back, his gaze unwavering, and Loki finds that Odin is a worthy adversary. He will heed Odin's advice to get close to Thor, but it won't be because Odin said it. It will be because he intended to anyway. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Too bad Odin won't know that while he's congratulating himself.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As Loki goes up the steps, Thor calls his name, and he stops. "Yes, Thor?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tomorrow, we're going to the gym again. Be ready." And he goes back into the kitchen.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It seems that the Odinsons have no concept of asking but only know how to demand things from people. Thor does seem to know when his demands are reasonable and will be met. Odin doesn't seem to have that ability.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The next morning, he sits on the bottom stair, his yoga mat slung over his shoulder and his gym bag slung over the other. He's come prepared for a more intense workout this time, and Loki has a feeling that things may get out of hand as they did last time.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor bounds down the steps, giving Loki a surprised look that turns into a grin when he sees him. "Good, we can leave immediately then." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's a knock at the door, and Thor goes to answer it, revealing Luke Cage from Loki's gym class sitting there.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Luke!" Thor greets, opening the door wider. "You're here. We were just about to leave."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Luke pats Thor on the shoulder and notices Loki. "Hey, Chef, nice seeing you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You too, Luke," Loki replies as he follows them out the door. Never has he felt smaller as he stands between the two of them on the curb as Thor hails a cab. It's pleasant knowing that he is protected if the time came for combat with a huge assailant, but Loki doesn't really need protecting.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki allows Luke to enter the cab before him, so he's next to the door and not next to Thor. He half-listens to their conversation, catching a few tidbits about things that happened in their shared classes, and he doesn't feel left out like he should. He enjoys the company and not having to actually participate in the conversation.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Inside the gym, the two of them head off for the weights, and Loki heads for the empty room from his last time there. He rolls out his mat and sets his back next to the wall, careful not to have it so it's obscuring emhisem view of Loki. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He puts his earphones in and taps the shuffle button under the same playlist from last time, smiling when the familiar synth of emSexyBackem comes on./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"With a shrug, he decides to just forego the yoga and just pretend to be doing something remotely yoga-like. He closes his eyes and lies on his back, pulling his knees together and lifts his legs above his body. His hands come to rest near his hips and he lifts his lower back from the ground, letting his head lull to the side as he gives a silent moan of relief. He slowly puts his feet back on the ground and lifts his lower back again, giving another silent moan, and he begins to lift his pelvis in repetitions. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'll let you whip me if I miss behave…"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"And if that's not an image Loki doesn't mind, he doesn't know what is. Thor whipping him… He opens his eyes, and he bites his bottom lip to stop from grinning. Thor's staring at him from his place, spotting Luke as he lifts what's probably hundreds of pounds. He's staring, eyes slightly wide, and Loki closes his eyes and turns his head to stop from peeking again.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The song changes to a remix of emThat's Not My Nameem, and Loki stands up. Loki's tried many different exercises over the years to try and keep himself from simultaneously dying from boredom and inactivity, and there are some that are not as… school appropriate as others. In the privacy of his bedroom, he was free to do whatever, and he eventually settled on the relaxing Ashtanga Yoga. But Loki still remembers clearly./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He gets onto his hands and knees, getting onto the tips of his toes, and he swoops down inches above the ground, holding it until he feels the burn before repeating. He whips his head back, and his hair falls out of the ponytail, but he makes no motion to put it back up.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The song changes, and Loki has to contain his glee at how easy it's going to be for him to mimic along with the song. He stands back up, touching his toes as the beat of the song builds up to the first verse. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He spreads his legs wide before dipping down into a squat, putting his right hand on the opposite thigh and alternating with each repetition. He keeps his eyes closed as he does so, but he can't deny the smile that's aching to break out from the feeling of being watched.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Maybe he's kind of an exhibitionist.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki opens his eyes, seeking Thor out in seconds, and he makes another dip. There's no doubt that Thor feels extremely uncomfortable by now, and gods does Loki love it. Thor's never responded with revulsion, which is great since Loki can do this without worrying about Thor's little boundaries.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He mimics along with the lyrics, hoping that Thor knows the subject matter of the song with his body movements. His hands leave his thighs and come up behind his neck as he dips down into another squat. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's eyes narrow as one of his hands leaves his neck and goes back to the inside of his thigh, trailing upward slowly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Luke drops the weight back onto the rack, and it seems to jolt Thor out of his stare, Thor looking around in confusion. Luke's brows furrow before his eyes find Loki, and he erupts into laughter, patting Thor's arm as he does. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki grins at the flustered look on Thor's face. Poor straight Thor doesn't know how to react to Loki seducing him through body movement, and it's quite hilarious. Any other man would have told Loki to go "fuck off" by now, but it seems that Thor lacks the sense to, so Loki's going to keep pushing until he reaches Thor's breaking point.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's mean, he knows that, but he'd prefer it if Thor were to be the one to reach his breaking point before Loki reaches his. The way things are going now, it looks like Loki may have to keep making Thor uncomfortable because Loki's point of tolerance is within sight.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Luke makes a come hither motion to Loki, and Loki packs up his stuff. As he makes his way to the two of them, he drags his hand across his forehead and realizes that he's kind of sweaty. It's partially disgusting, but it's also an opportunity for Loki to do this.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stops in front of the two them, Luke drying his face with a towel and Thor leaning against the rack with his arm crossed, and drops his bag on the ground. He hooks his fingers around the hem of his shirt and tugs his upward.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, not the shirt-" Luke starts.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki pulls the shirt from around his head, dragging it across his face before discarding it into his bag. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Whelp, looks like my friend is going to go into cardiac arrest," Luke says, patting a staring Thor's shoulder.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's eyes are wide, wide enough to look like they are going to fall from the sockets at any moment. He opens his mouth and closes it a few times before he says anything. "I, uh… I've never seen yoga done like that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki pulls out his water bottle and takes a sip. "Good," he says. "I'm happy to be your first."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Luke starts laughing again. "Oh, god, you two are just—do you want to catch a cab to the nearest hotel and have at it there or-?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Luke…" Thor says, glaring at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then stop fucking without touching while I'm here. Damn, I don't need to be witness to this. Keep that behind closed doors."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They start toward the entrance, and Loki is about to go through when Thor's hand seizes his arm and stops him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What?" he asks, cocking his head to the side. "You want to take Luke up on his offer?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor doesn't look amused. "You need to put something on," he says. "Here, put my jacket on." He shoves his jacket into Loki's arms and crosses his arms, waiting for him to put it on.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's cold outside."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He rolls his eyes, but shrugs the jacket on anyway, the vinyl still warm from Thor. "Happy now?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Immensely," Thor replies, his tone sarcastic. He walks away, and Loki is left scoffing at his gall to think that he has some control over Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The three catch a cab back to their house, and the entire ride Thor seems to touch Loki whether it's a small rub on the shoulder or a constant tapping on his knee. He even plays with the zipper on his jacket, which is not that far from Loki's crotch, for a few moments before deciding to zip it up without warning Loki. When Loki glares at him, he puts a hand under his chin and smiles, Loki jerking away from him and going to lean on his arm and continue pouting.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His hand is on Loki's shoulder as they walk up the steps, him and Luke talking as he unlocks the door.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki starts for the stairs but finds that Thor is grabbing at the back of the jacket and stopping him from moving as if he were some insolent child. He wants to hate being controlled so much, but he can only find that it is incredibly… sexy.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You do not get to escape so fast, Loki," Thor says, letting the jacket go and slinging an arm over Loki's shoulder. "Luke, the living room is down the hall extending from the kitchen. Feel free to watch whatever entertains you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Alright," he says, and he gives the two of them a suspicious look as he walks down the hall.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What?" Loki asks, walking with Thor into the kitchen. He has no other choice since Thor's much, much, much stronger than him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're going to spend time together today," he replies, grabbing an apple from the dish. "Also, I know my father talked to you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki really wishes he could get away from Thor right now because he does not want to talk about this. It's strange territory for the both of them, and Loki's not so good with the unknown. He likes to be aware of what he's getting into. "Yes, we did… talk."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What did you talk about?" Thor drops his arm from Loki's shoulder, and Loki moves away immediately.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He goes to the opposite side of the island and grabs a banana from the dish to occupy him. "Us." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Elaborate."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki peels the skin from the banana, and he is not a fan of using distractions to get what he wants, but he's not above it in this situation. He hates it when people try to use distractions him, and he usually never needs them. He doesn't allow himself to get in those kinds of situations. But now, he's not entirely above it. He inhales before bringing the banana to his mouth, taking half of it in his mouth, and he makes eye contact with Thor as he does. He pulls the banana out most of the way, taking a bit from the tip.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Starting with the tip is the best," he says as he chews. He swallows. "Our relationship."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor gulps visibly, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. Loki wonders what that would feel like in his mouth. "What did he ask about it?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He thinks that we're too distant," Loki replies, shrugging. He twists the banana as he puts it into his mouth, unashamedly making slurping noises. It does not get more suggestive than that. "I don't think so. Do you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor shakes his head, his eyes darting around the kitchen. "N-no, I don't. I apologize for his… abrasiveness."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's not your fault." Loki takes a bite, taking half of the banana in his mouth and chewing. He swallows. "My experience is good with this kind of thing." He isn't sure what he was going for with that, but the wide-eyed look Thor gives him is worth it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, I-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Are you two fucking or what? If not, come watch this damned movie with me, Thor!" Luke shouts.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor grabs his apple and leaves the kitchen quickly, Loki chuckling as he does. It's easy to push Thor's buttons.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"On Monday, Loki decides that his infatuation with Thor is here to stay for a while and realizes that he should just take advantage of it now. He knows that it will pass with time. Thor's… new, and Loki's attracted to new and blond and extremely fit.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He allows himself to fawn over Thor as he talks during lunch, and he doesn't even feel ashamed when Natasha gives him a knowing look or Tony makes some comment that is clearly directed at him. He just gives a half-hearted shrug.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He directs all of his actual pursuit of love in Victor's direction because Victor is actually attainable, and a great choice of romantic partner. He and Loki are very compatible, and he's also not his step-brother. And did he mention that Victor is extremely good looking and a genius? How could he not want that?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor seems to want him in return, and Loki makes no attempts to rebuff his flirtations during the week. He welcomes them with open arms before giving Victor his own in return. The looks from his friends are getting worse, and the comments from Tony to Victor are more scathing. Loki gives them questioning looks, but they only turn away from him instead of trying to explain. It makes absolutely no sense.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His repartee with Thor is the same, Thor complimenting Loki and telling him how interesting he is while Loki rolls his eyes and gives him some compliment in return. If Loki weren't sure that Thor has something going on with that Jane Foster girl, he'd think that Thor was flirting. It's such a waste that he's getting all of Loki's attention, and he's not even interested in his gender.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki doesn't see Odin much through the week, him being mostly absent from dinner, and he's kind of disappointed that he has no one to stare down with contempt. That's exactly what he feels for Odin, contempt. He doesn't hate him nor does he like him. He doesn't think he will be able to ever like Odin.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Wednesday morning, Jane Foster is not waiting for Thor on the front steps of the school, and it takes Loki everything not to get on his knees and praise the All-Father for giving him that small mercy. It's entirely bad of him to be happy about something like that, but Loki does not like Jane Foster. Yes, it is because Thor has eyes for her, and he has eyes for Thor, but he's allowed to not like a romantic rival or whatever the hell she is. She's definitely not a friend even if she tries to talk to Loki when he's in the general vicinity. She doesn't seem to understand that Loki has no interest in befriending her when he only nods and offers her a fake smile in return.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor looks slightly disappointed, and Loki emalmostem feels bad about being ecstatic, but he simply places a hand on Thor's arm and grabs his attention. Thor's smile graces his face again, and the world is right for a few moments until there's the sound of emher/em voice calling Thor's name./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Jane comes up the stairs, grinning at Thor, and Thor's grinning at her. Gods, Loki almost loses his mind right there, but he only stares on in anger as Thor hugs her. Yes, he hugs her, and it's not even a friendly hug. It's the kind of hug people who are in love with each other have. Is Thor in love with her?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns away in disgust, leaving the two of them to do whatever the hell they do besides talk about fucking stars, and marches down the hallway. He almost doesn't see Steve waiting for him at his locker, he's so angry, and he can only offer him a firm nod as a greeting.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve pushes away from Rick's locker. "Loki, is there something wrong?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki starts at the hand on his back and sees that it was only Steve. "I'm completely fine!" he shouts, and it's one of the worst lies he's ever told. He's good at telling lies, but that… He doesn't even want to think about that. "Sorry, I'm just slightly anxious, Steve."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve nods. "I know the feeling. If you want to talk-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, I'm not a sharer," he says, and Jane and Thor round the corner together, Jane smiling her adorable little smile as Thor talks with his hands. For some reason, they're coming in Loki's direction, and he wonders why until Jane stops a few lockers down and starts to put in a combination. It turns out that his enemy is his neighbor too.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Steven, God of Mischief!" Tony stops in front of the two of them. "Good morning, oh one who is good at trickery."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki rolls his eyes, tired of Tony's stupid endearments. "Hello, Stark."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, cold greeting," Tony says. "Turns out that me and the bros can't go to NYU this morning. We're stuck here with you people and Steve."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thrilled," Loki says, remembering the kicking in Organic Chemistry. "I won't hesitate to break your ankle."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And I don't doubt it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki peers to the side and sees that Thor's hand is above Jane's head as she leans against her locker and looks up at him. Oh, what an adorable little couple in love. They probably write love letters and sneak kisses between classes that they walk together to. Gods, they probably even hold hands on the way to Psychology since his "weird little step-brother" as Jane probably calls him leaves before they do. Loki's not being unreasonable either. He knows how these things work.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Music starts coming from Tony's pocket, an RB song from the sounds of it, and Loki doesn't recognize it. He pulls the phone of out his pocket but makes no motion to answer it and starts singing in Steve's direction. "Take it off, you want it off," he sings as he attempts to shimmy sensually. For Loki, it's doing absolutely nothing. "Cause I know what you're feeling. It's okay, girl, I feel it too…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve is bright pink and narrowly keeping eye contact with Tony, and Loki can feel the embarrassment coming from his body in droves. If Loki got secondhand embarrassment, he would have it bad right now. He almost feels for Steve, but it's not like Steve can't just reject Tony's advances once and for all. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Are you going to answer that?" Loki asks, giving Steve a break. These two are as bad as Jane and Thor. No, no not that bad. Loki doesn't totally despise one of them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony stops shimmying and shrugs before answering. "Ello, Tony Stark, but you knew that already."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What even was that?" Loki asks. If Steve reacted like that, he knows that it has some sexual meaning.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It was emHigh for Thisem by The Weeknd."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns and sees that Thor is done talking to Jane, walking up to them with his hands tucked into his jean pockets. "It's a nice song," Thor adds.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony grins and holds up a 'thumbs up' to Thor. "Still got good taste, Odinson," he says, holding the headset away from his mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki only glares at Thor for knowing something that Loki should know. He should know basic things such as titles of RB songs. Thor shouldn't be able to hold something like that over his head even if Loki knows that Thor would never do such a thing, it's the thought that counts. He vows to go home and plug his earphones into Pandora, listening through every Top 40 station until he has it memorized. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor must see Loki's expression because he stops grinning and only gives a small smile. "Some friends of mine were very into American RB, so I know a lot about the genre."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, good for you," Loki replies before he can compose himself. He sighs when he sees the look that Steve is giving him, the patronizing one that practically says that Loki should apologize this moment. Loki doesn't know when Steve gained that control over him to make him feel almost… guilty. "I, uh… sorry," he mumbles.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor brightens up immediately before clapping him on the shoulder. "It's fine, brother. You're a knowledgeable person, and with all of that knowledge, you get arrogant. You're learning quickly to tone it down. It brings me pride."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He glances over to see Steve still giving him a guilty look, and he holds back the retort at the tip of his tongue. It would be so easy to wipe that smile off of Thor's face, but he's not willing to do it at the cost of getting that look from Steve all day.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, during free period you should really consider joining band," Tony says, finished with his call. "We need another percussionist, and you look like you bang well."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor gives Tony a sharp look, but Tony is too preoccupied with chuckling to notice and pay heed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hm, no, thanks," Loki replies.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why? You scared, Laufeyson?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, I have newsletter," he replies. "And no I do not bang well. I've never even-" He stops himself. "I don't play an instrument."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony points his finger and starts to bounce on his feet excitedly. "You! You're a-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tony, stop being so-!" Steve stops and inhales. "You're being more inappropriate than usual. Stop being so crude, and remember your manners."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor chuckles. "It seems that Rogers has his boyfriend under control," he says, and Steve turns bright red.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They're not together," Loki says, rolling his eyes at how Steve is blushing. "They're strictly best friends."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony's eye narrow, and he suddenly becomes serious. "Catch you later," he says in a sharp tone, and he storms off.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki makes his second big decision in the week to try and decode Steve and Tony's friendship. Normally he would try to stay out of it, but it's affecting them all with Tony's sudden changes in mood. At lunch, Tony is completely silent, and it's uncharacteristic of him. Steve attempts to put a hand on Tony's shoulder, but he lashes out and leaves the table, Steve going after him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve and Tony miss psychology, so Loki is free to shoot bitter glances at Jane. When he isn't doing that, he listens to Victor passionately talk about the clean energy project that he's apart of with Tony, Reed, Hank, and Bruce. Loki has no interest in clean energy, but his passion is amazing to listen to. It's like a diluted form of aural sex.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Before Earth Science, he and Victor hug, and as they pull apart, Thor appears around the corner, his steps firm and his gaze hard as he watches the two of them. Loki doesn't rush to pull away and relishes Victor's touch. Victor kisses his knuckles, and Loki smirks as he turns and leaves.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor doesn't greet him or even offer him a glance as he brushes past him and goes into the classroom.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki scoffs. It's unfair of Thor to treat him like that when he has tolerated Jane's presence for so long without even arguing. Instead of responding similarly, Loki is going to act as if nothing ever happened just as Thor has been doing. "Hello, Thor," he says as he takes his seat. "Nice day we're having."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor gives him a disbelieving look. "Is that you speaking about your little love affair or something else?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki arches an eyebrow at Thor. "'Love affair?' You make it sound as if what we're doing is wrong. We're both consenting."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And the consent of you both is the only one needed, right?" Thor snorts. "How egotistical of you, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What? Are you jealous or something?" Loki asks, and there's no reply. He turns to Thor, eyebrows raised. "Wait, Thor-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Will everyone please be silent? Class is to begin," Mrs. Munroe says, and Loki sighs because he knows that his chance to talk to Thor is gone. He's going to have to wait till later.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Newsletter moves longer than Loki would have liked, and he almost races to his locker at the end of the day in a rush to get to Thor. He gives Rick a farewell before he power walks to the front lobby and waits for Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor does not look thrilled to see him and the look he gives Loki is one that makes his heart sink a bit. "We have to wait," he says. "Jane is coming with us."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The rage that has been building inside Loki lets off and short burst, and Loki has to stop himself from lashing out on Thor and demanding why he doesn't love him like some pathetic teenager with an unrequited crush. Loki is better than that, so he does the alternative and takes off. "I'll catch a ride with Stark!" he shouts behind him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony is getting into his car when Loki reaches the top of the stairs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stark!" he shouts. "I need you to drop me off." He goes down the rest of the stairs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Wait, where the hell is Thor?" Tony asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He and Jane Foster are catching a cab together," he replies, opening the back door.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, okay, I get it," Tony says, making an O with his lips. "If he beats me into a bloody pulp for aiding and abetting his escape, Steve, I expect you to avenge me, got it? Now, let's get the hell out of here before he arrives and everything goes to hell." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The car pulls away from the curb with a screech, and Tony turns on some rap music.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, do you think maybe you should not go home immediately?" Tony turns around to glance at Loki, and he looks genuinely concerned. "You seem a little-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not tense," he says, and he cringes at how wrong he is. "Yes… I should probably go to yours." He sighs. "I'm trusting you, Stark."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Like you always should not," Tony replies. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They eventually park in front of a mansion, high walls surrounding it on all four sides and a black gate in the center. There's a bronze plaque with the words 'Stark Manor' emblazoned on it, and the house is so garish that it fits the caricature of Tony in his mind.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony gets out first, and he and Steve follow him inside of the gate. "Jarvis, it's me and Steve and Loki," he says to the sky. "Let us in."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"An old gray-haired man opens the door in a tuxedo and a tie, Bluetooth at his ear. "Master Stark, Mr. Rogers, how was your day at school? It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Laufeyson." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki shakes Jarvis' cold hand, and Tony claps Jarvis on the shoulder. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It was great, J," Tony says. "Loki, this is Jarvis, my living, breathing hippocampus. Keeps me alive. You two come on, we should go do something."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What do you have in mind?" Steve asks. "A movie?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony grins. "Fuck yes, Steve! Movie time! Come, come, you hooligans!" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki follows Tony, glancing at the obviously expensive and rare paintings hanging on the walls, and a framed picture of an ACDC poster sticks out among the classical paintings. It's the only thing he's seen that actually fits Tony instead of all of this "stuffy" décor./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony stops in front of double doors and opens them up in a gaudy motion. "Welcome to the theater," he says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It looks exactly like a normal movie theater, posters lining the walls, but there's too much extra technology for Loki to think that it's meant to be an exact replica of one. The chairs are all armchairs instead of the standard movie theater ones, and as they make their way to the front row, Loki's hand brushes one and realizes that they feel much better than them too.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He and Steve take seats in the middle while Tony excuses himself to go find a surprise movie for them to watch. Loki can't deny the tension between them, and he actually yearns for Tony's return for once.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I understand now," Steve says, and his voice is small in the silence of the room. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki glances at Steve's profile and sees that he's staring blankly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I thought that you were mad because-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're watching 'The Green Lantern!'" Tony announces from somewhere in the back.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki groans. "Seriously, Tony?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What? Ryan Reynolds looks sexy in it!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Don't you mean Blake Lively?" Steve asks. "She's the girl."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yeah, whatever." He turns the lights down and the screen flickers to life. "I'm getting popcorn, so don't enjoy the previews without me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I don't know why he finds being gay to be so amusing," Steve says. "I hope it doesn't offend you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Of course not," he replies. "It's actually funny because he's terrible at it, if that's even possible."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony returns with popcorn and drinks and somehow fits in a mention of, "thunder," and Loki freezes in his seat.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thunder. Thanks to Tony and his love of nicknames, Thor and thunder have become synonymous in his head. Thor is with Jane "stars and more star talk" Foster at their home. The two of them could be doing anything since Loki isn't there, taking advantage of his absence. They're teenagers and—he should be home to stop them. It's his duty to keep them away from each other, to think for Thor because if that's who he chooses then he clearly needs Loki's help.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"At the credits, Loki stands up from his chair, brushing off some of Tony's stray popcorn. "I need to go home now," he says, not bothering to stop rocking on his heels.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Okay, okay, Donnie Darko, let's go. Steve, we're heading out. You going now, or are you staying later?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You can drop me off. I wouldn't want you to-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Nope, you're staying," Tony says. "You know I would make five million trips for you, Steve. Now, five million and one? That's out of the question."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When Tony pulls up in front of his house, he barely remembers to thank Tony and say goodbye. He races up the stairs, his heart hammering hard in his chest, and he starts to pull out his keys when he realizes that the door is unlocked. Maybe Thor and Jane were too preoccupied with their impending alone time that they forgot to close the-span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki freezes when he sees Thor sitting on the stairs, head in his hands. He was expecting many things, but Thor waiting for him was not one of them. He shuts the door behind him, standing where he is as Thor stands up. He's never been more afraid than he is right now, and he knows that Thor won't hurt him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor couldn't.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor just stares at him for a few moments, and when he pins Loki against the door, Loki gasps. Thor's outlined by a golden halo from the light in the kitchen, and he looks purely godly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki tries to surge forward to kiss him but finds that Thor's grip on his shoulder is firm. He's extremely thankful for that when, in the next moment, he realizes what he almost did. The realization makes a lump appear in his throat, and his heart slows down instead of speeding up. His control is absolutely finished. He just hopes that Thor is too angry to have noticed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor doesn't say anything, his eyes slightly narrowed as he stares at Loki, and the suspense of whatever is to come is killing Loki. He would rather Thor hit him or whatever instead of stare him down like he's some prey. Gods, that should not sound as hot as it does in Loki's mind.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His eyes keep flickering down to Thor's lips, and he's starting to get a hard-on. He has to get out of there before it is too late.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Where were you?" Thor finally asks, and Loki lets out a breath of relief.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tony Stark's," he replies. He reaches up and pulls Thor's fingers to his pulse. "I'm not lying."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor stares at him for a few moments more before he pushes away from him and goes up the stairs, his footsteps startlingly loud on the wood. Loki has to stop from wincing with the sound each step.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thor-" Jane appears in the archway. "Loki?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He rolls his eyes because he's obviously not Thor. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you're…" She rushes forward as if she's going to try and hug him, but she stops short. "I-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're still here?" he asks, not wanting to hear whatever nonsense she had to say. He can't help but to laugh. He didn't expect Thor to wait for him alone, did he? He could have gotten a quick one in while he worried about Loki. Oh how worried he was, right?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She steps up to him, her eyebrows knitted together. It's as if a puppy were angry, comical. "You had Thor worried," she says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Obviously," he replies, looking away from her and sighing in boredom. "He seemed so worried."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She scoffs, crossing her arms. "I'm well aware that you don't approve of Thor and I's relationship, but-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I know that you two are in love or whatever teenage infatuation you call it, but I see right through you, Jane Foster," he says, narrowing his eyes at her, "and I see that you two are as disposable as the next girl. Thor and I are brothers now, and our bond will last until the heat death of the universe. I'm sure you know how long that it away, so you understand what I am saying. You'll never break up our relationship, and whatever gave you that idea is bogus. No… vagina can separate us now that we are together, okay? Know this now, Jane Foster, and come to terms with it. Your time is limited." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She stares at him, open mouthed, and Loki leaves her there to think about the fact that he sees through her lies. She's probably used to people fawning over how adorable she is or how smart she is for knowing all of that information about stars, but Loki isn't "people." He's better than them all, and Jane Foster needs to realize that now.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He slams his door as hard as he can, hoping that Thor heard the rage behind it. He brought that… girl beneath their roof without even consulting Loki. He had the nerve to accuse Loki of his own sins right before, calling Loki "egotistical" because he did not ask Thor's consent to romance Victor. Loki never consented Jane and his relationship. Thor has no right to even feel that way.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki hears Thor's door open followed by his footsteps down the stairs. There's the muffled sound of their voices that Loki doesn't strain to hear, not caring to hear their lover's spat about his "reckless brother" and the sound of the front door opening and closing. Loki hears Thor's footsteps come up the stairs, his door closing loudly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It seems that Thor is as angry as Loki is. What a fool. Loki's anger is founded.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He shuts the light off before he shoves his pants down to his ankles and sits down on his bed. He's as hard as he was after that "head-job," and it's all Thor's fault for being so sexy when he's angry. He grips himself hard enough to cause himself to cry out in pleasure and shock, and he wonders if Thor heard him in the silence of the house. He doesn't care enough to stop, and he lays down on his back as he slowly strokes himself. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Gods, Thor is such an ass, and Loki is attracted to that ass and his ass.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"With his other hand slick with saliva, he reaches down and circles a finger at his asshole. He shoves a finger inside of himself, crying out in pain and pleasure at the sudden shock of it all. He wants it to hurt like he wants Thor to hurt, and he wants it to feel good like he wants Thor to make him feel. He inhales sharply as he inserts another finger, hissing at the pain, and he squeezes down on his cock as he does so.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pumps his fingers in time with his strokes, and soon he's cumming all over his hands as he stares at the ceiling. He lets himself lay there as he tries to catch his breath, and he realizes that this is what his life is going to be for the next year. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They don't talk the next morning… at all. No glances exchanged, and Loki loathes that their relationship has reduced to this in only a day. It's as if they're back at square one, where Loki would rather not be. He does not understand why Thor cannot admit that he was the one in the wrong. Loki is always the one apologizing. He's not doing any now.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He walks straight into the school, not looking at Jane as he feels her gaze burn into his back. She's not worthy of anything other than a passing thought. Steve doesn't say anything about the way Loki pointedly ignores Thor and Jane when they pass, and they walk to class in silence.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha pulls him to the side before Organic Chemistry, her brows knit together in concern. "Loki, something happened between the two of you-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""-that I would rather not discuss," he finishes. "I would appreciate it if you pretended not to know."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She nods. "Whatever suits you, but I'm here if you want to talk."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"At lunch, Loki leans on his elbow and nods along to whatever Tony is saying, and Thor's right next to him but feels as if he's half the world away. He's looking everywhere but at Loki even if his eyes do look at Loki, not actually emlookem. It's like Thor sees right through him, and it makes the pit in Loki's stomach deeper. Thor's given up./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's given up, and Loki wants him to try more than anything.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor's late for Creative Writing, and Loki finds himself wondering what could have happened since he saw him in psychology. Victor departed from Psychology, telling Loki that he would see him next class, and he seemed anxious, but Loki didn't think much of it. He should have gone with Victor anyway.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Von Doom isn't here," Tony says, and he has the nerve to smile. "So let's get started then…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki wants to wait for Victor, but they begin anyway, clearly not missing Victor's presence. He knows that they hate Victor, but he never imagined that it was this much. They're acting as if he's not worth waiting for. Victor is worth waiting for.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why do you all hate him?" Loki asks when they've finished revisions for the day. "You need to tell me now."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Clint speaks up. "Well-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony gives Clint a look, and he shuts his mouth with a roll of his eyes. "It's nothing important, Slim," he says. "Anyway…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki shakes his head in disbelief. "You're all ridiculous," he says as he stands up. "I can't believe I'm friends with any of you." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why can't we just tell him?" Clint asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Because it's not our place-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's not your place to make remarks about our relationship either, but that doesn't stop you!" he snaps, turning away from the doorway. At the ring of the bell, he leaves them all staring wide-eyed before they can follow him. He's tired of these games that everyone is playing, and he wishes that they would just leave-span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Wait, Loki!" Loki looks back down the hallway behind him, and Victor is holding a bouquet of blue and green roses. Loki had no idea they even made green roses, and they're some of the most beautiful flowers Loki's ever seen. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stares as Victor approaches, holding the ridiculous amount of flowers out in front of him. His eyes are warm, and they cause the anxiety of the past few days to melt from his shoulders at once. "Are we walking?" Victor asks with a grin.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods, and the two of them walk shoulder to shoulder the familiar route to Earth Science. "So, who are the flowers for?" he asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, someone particularly special said that their favorite colors were blue and green, so I took it upon myself to dive out of school for a moment and grab them a bouquet of them," Victor says, and they stop as they reach the door to Earth Science. "Loki, um…" Victor shakes his head. "I'm not particularly good with romance, but I'm good with science and memory, and…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki reaches out and brushes his hand along the soft petals of one of the flowers. "I'm listening."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Would you—Loki, will you go out on a date with me? I mean, we never got the chance to go on that book date with Stark and his antics, and I-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, I'd be charmed to go out with you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor lefts out a sigh of relief. "Well, I can't say that I'm not glad that's over. Now, these are for you," he says, handing him the bouquet. "I hope you enjoy them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're making me feel awfully feminine," he replies, "but I can't say that, that's a bad thing."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good, I will… pick you up tomorrow at 7 pm. I already have your address as odd as that sounds, so I'll be there. Wear a tuxedo. It's formal." Victor turns around. "See you then."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki stares after Victor in astonishment. He's going out on a date with Victor. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki," Mrs. Munroe says from behind him, "what beautiful flowers. We're heading out to the front to go to our locations and continue our projects. I think some students are already out there. Join me as I walk."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He falls into step beside her, feeling giddy from the implications of the flowers in his hands. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Who gave them to you?" she asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor von Doom," he replies. "He's a… friend."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She grins knowingly at him. "He has excellent choice in flowers." She opens the front door for him. "Cherish them. They're some of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He barely notices Thor sitting on the stairs, the flowers blocking his vision, and he narrowly avoids falling down the stairs by Thor gripping him by the shin and somehow steadying him. It should have the alternative effect, but Loki ends up unscathed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Who gave you the flowers?" he asks, his face pensive. Loki's sure that Thor already knows the answer.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor," he replies, and he finds himself slightly afraid of Thor's reaction, so he hides behind the flowers a bit. He feels like a coward, but Thor is extremely intimidating—and sexy-when angry. He has no time for hard-ons.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When there's no response, he peaks around the flowers to see Thor but finds that he's gone. Holding the flowers away from his body, he descends the stairs and finds that Thor is already getting into one of the waiting cabs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Getting inside?" he asks, and this Thor is completely different than the one Loki is used to. Why the hell is he so sexy?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He slides inside, setting the flowers on the seat between them. "Thank you for waiting."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor grins in response, and Loki has never seen him respond sarcastically to anything. He begs for his blood to at least try to stay in his upper limbs. "You're welcome."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When they arrive, Loki takes the bouquet with him. He feels like one of those female leads in a romantic comedy, carrying the bouquet from her secret admirer. It feels awfully like Victor is a secret admirer even if Loki has spent a good amount of time with him. If he were a fan of clichés, he would frolic as he handed out each rose to a passerby. He settles to hugging the bouquet to his chest as he inhales the scent of them and walks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He ponders what the date is going to be like. He's going to have to wear a tuxedo, which means that it's going to be a fairly formal place. It's only fitting, considering it is Victor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What prompted him to give you flowers?" Thor asks, sitting down on a bench. He stares up at Loki with this expression that almost sets Loki's loins on fire while still making him want to roll his eyes in irritation. "The occasion?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We have a book date that we never got to go on," he replies. It's not explicitly a lie. He just doesn't want Thor to know. "He remembered and thought it would be appropriate to buy me flowers that are my favorite colors."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""These flowers," Thor stands and pulls two roses from the bouquet, green and blue, and breaks them apart in his hands as if they're nothing, "do you know what they mean? Fertility and love, Loki! Don't you think that his advances are a bit… advanced?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Compared against what?" he asks, and he hopes that the lust is not inhibiting his ability to talk in an angry tone. "It's simply a coincidence anyway."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, your favorite color is olive green," he says. "These flowers are fern green. You would think that he would be interested enough to research the difference between the colors, but it seems not."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Since when are you pedantic?" he asks, gritting his teeth. "And since when do you know my favorite color?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm observant, Loki," he replies, and he takes a step right into Loki's personal space. "Most green clothing you wear is olive. Most furniture and other things you own are all olive green. Even your undergarments are olive green. Care for me to prove so?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's cock actually twitches, and he has to shut his eyes to keep his composure. That's the hottest thing that Loki's ever heard in his entire existence on this earth, and he thinks he's going to explode at any moment. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor, he hates him. He hates Thor with a passion for doing this to him, for having this kind of control. Loki only wants to look, but he doesn't want to touch. Maybe he does, but that's never going to happen. It seems like Thor wants to play a game now, and Loki's not okay with that at all.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Can we leave?" he asks, opening his eyes. He has a feeling that his pupils are dilated.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We haven't gotten any work done," Thor says, chuckling darkly. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods. "I know—I just—I have to take care of a personal problem," he replies, hoping to get his point through enough without having to say it outright.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor does a full body once over before he says, "Fine."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The ride back is humiliating for Loki, as he tries not to move in a way that will make him explode inside of his pants. He's had the misfortune of walking with sticky shorts.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Can we leave? I'm not feeling well," Loki says to Mrs. Munroe. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I think it may be the flowers," Thor says, and like an utter asshole, he sets them in her arms. "I think you should take them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Okay, thank you," she says, "and, Loki, I hope you feel much better."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Nodding to prevent himself from saying anything obscene, he turns and stalks off to the curb, waving his arm erratically in an attempt to try and hail a taxi. He's far too thankful that Thor has one of those games of his so that he doesn't follow.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He relishes the solitude—being away from Thor rather—and reads away his irritation towards Thor while enjoying steaming tea at the kitchen counter and the silence. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Then the landline rings.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He takes in a sharp breath and answers it. "Hello, Loki Laufeyson speaking."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, Loki, hello," Tony says. How horrid it is that his voice is emthatem recognizable./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stark."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tomorrow, all of us are getting together at mine so we can finish our costumes." Hm, Loki almost forgot about Halloween. "After, we're going to go and do some group activity because, you know, we're all friends."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony hasn't had many friends before, has he? Steve and Pepper and James—and perhaps Bruce—are anomalies.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki chuckles. "I am deeply regretful, but I'm afraid that I can't come. I have other plans."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh… no, you don't. I, of all people, would know this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Not if I recently found out myself, you wouldn't. I'm not changing them either," he replies. "You guys can have fun without me. I'm sure that Natasha knows my measurements. Or even ask Thor. Sure he'd know," he adds quietly. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony sighs. "You're being a recluse."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I am not a recluse, Tony."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, you're being one right now. You do not have anything else to do tomorrow," he replies. "We're your only friends."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're really not." He sighs because there's no other way around this that doesn't involve telling Tony outright. He does not plan to spend his entire night screening phone calls because Stark is persistent. "I… have a date."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You have a date!?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki holds the phone away from his ear, covering the headset and glancing around to see if anyone is near. "Yes, I have a date, okay? I can't come tomorrow because I have a date."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""With who?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No one important to you," he replies.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Do I know him?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tony, let's not play this game."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not playing a game though. I'm asking because I'm curious. As a friend, you're obligated to gush to me about this boy you like because we're teenage girls right now. Look, you're on a house phone. Can't get more teenage girl than that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm going to hang up."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's Victor, isn't it?" Stark makes a noise of disgust. "Ew, Doomy!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki rolls his eyes even if Stark isn't there to see it and ends the call. He doesn't have time for Stark's childish games and taunts. When Stark is willing to talk to Loki about Victor in a manner that is respectful to Victor, he will actually listen.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He leans against the island and allows himself to grin, tilting his head back as his eyes close. He's going on a date with Victor von Doom, one of the most intelligent and handsome boys—no, men Loki has ever met, and he's actually looking forward to it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The front door opens, and through it, Thor enters, an American football helmet in SHIELD's navy in hand. In the crotch of his polyester shorts, something swings with the motion of him closing the door, and Loki can barely take his eyes off Thor's liberated cock molded then hidden in gray.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's big.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor raises his brow at Loki as Loki regains his composure. "I'm tempted to pay Clint and Natasha to kidnap you and bring you to a game."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well—"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You had something 'productive' to do. I don't know when I'll stop being so offended. Maybe when you decide that you're not so above coming to support your brother like you're supposed to."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki crosses his arms. "Well, we're not brothers."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And why not because we don't share blood, we haven't shared the same house for long?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes a step forward and stares up at Thor's narrowed eyes. "Because I don't want to be your 'brother,'" he says, air quotes included.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then what do you want to be, my friend?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He laughs. "Friend isn't the word you're looking for."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's brow rises, and he opens his mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The door opens, and their parents end any conversation they were having.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, we thought we'd see you there eventually," Odin says as he eyes Loki from down the hall. "We were disappointed tonight."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki smiles tightly, and forces himself to not correct Odin on that pesky "we." He means himself for Loki's mother has no ideas about Loki mysteriously gaining some rabid case of school spirit or "fraternal love." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You'll go to a game," Thor whispers, warm breath ghosting Loki's ear. He smells of grass. "You have my word."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki wants Thor to fuck him so badly that he has to restrain himself until Thor spares him his—glorious, golden, giant—presence.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" p 


	5. Chapter 5

h2 style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"!- [if !supportLists] style="font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span!-[endif]-Victor von Doom: Vicious Psychopath?!/h2  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm going out tomorrow night," he says a few moments into dinner. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin takes a sip of his wine before bringing his hand up to his beard and stroking it in a mildly patronizing manner. Loki feels like he's judging more than what he just said, and there's a great chance that he's right. "And Thor, is he not coming with you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, he's not. It's with a close friend of mine," he replies carefully. "We're going to dinner to discuss books."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor snorts, and Loki glares at him, daring him to say anything. Thor's obviously clued in about the fact that it's not a book date but a real date, and it doesn't take much to jump to that conclusion, considering his and Victor's relationship up to his point. A book date seems much too casual for whatever they have going on between them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Books," Odin repeats, eyebrows furrowed. "What kinds of books?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Nineteenth century literature," he replies smoothly. "We're both fans of the genre, and we don't have enough time during our classes to get quite into it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That sounds great, Loki," his mother says. "May I ask who this boy is?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor von Doom," he answers.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Romanian," she says, her face unchanging. "What does he look like?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's sure that his mother is asking him if he's attractive, and Loki would have no problem responding with the obvious affirmative, but Odin is right there and staring at him with that beady little eye of his. If his mother knows that he's interested in Victor romantically, that's great, so he doesn't have to have the entire "I'm gay" conversation with her after all. With Odin though, he wants to, so Odin doesn't go off drawing his own conclusions of what the hell is going on.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He looks-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's awfully like one of those male models or actors you see in movies," Thor interrupts, dropping his fork to his plate with a clatter. "He has those cheekbones that all of the girls fall over their feet for and a head full of glossy dark hair. He's awfully a lot like Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns and stares at Thor in disbelief. Now, what are his intentions? span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It fits," his mother says, a smile gracing her face. "Friends are usually similar to you. You know, Loki, Skadi and I look very much alike and have been friends since primary school. Most friends share some interests in common as well. This Victor, I should meet him tomorrow."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki puts on a charming smile of his own. His mother does not need to meet Victor. She will try to intimidate him into giving her the actual truth of the nature of their relationship, and even if Victor and she were of comparative height, she would try to make him feel as if he were merely a child. She'd done it to a boy who had the gall to call Loki out of his name while she stood next to him, and there was no doubt she would do it to innocent Victor who had no intent to harm Loki. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Mother, that's-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's a great idea, Farbauti," Thor says, and he's actually smiling about this! "You'll probably like him."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Do you, my son?" Odin asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We know of each other," he replies, "though he and Loki are much closer than I the two of us will ever be. It's unfortunate since we are in the same grade."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's a twelfth grader?" his mother asks. "Is he 18, Loki?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes," Thor answers. Isn't he just on a roll today?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Something reminiscent of the look Loki saw his mother give his first crush flashes across his mother's features, and he's almost sure that she's going to try to convince him not to go out on this "book date", but her smile only disappears, and she nurses back her wine as she stares at Loki blankly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""May I be excused-?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, would you please help me clean up?" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, Mother," he says, standing up with his dish in hand as he goes into the kitchen. He drops his plate into the sink and turns around to wait for his mother to come.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She puts the dishes into the sink and turns on the faucet to its highest setting, drowning out the conversation coming from the dining room. "You knew that I was going to do this," she says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sighs and dunks his hands into the water, slightly shocked at the scalding hot temperature of the water. He's never been a fan of hot water, preferring the cold himself, and his mother's always the same except for when she gets into one of her moods. Grabbing the sponge, he begins to wash a plate.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I sense that Thor does not approve of your relationship with this… Victor," she says, taking the plate from him and drying it. "He's an awfully intuitive boy. Almost as intuitive as you can be."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's biased by his hatred," he replies, and he stops himself from saying something that could clue his mother in on his problem with Thor. "Victor is a close friend of mine."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She turns to him, touching a hand on his forearm. "I'm your mother, Loki, and I know you much better than you think I do. You've never told me, but-" She stops when Thor and Odin come through the archway and drops her hand from his arm. "We will talk about this at another time. You are excused to go to your room."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Okay, Mother."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thor, you can go to your room as well," Odin says, clapping him on the shoulder as he goes over to join Loki's mother. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki doesn't wait for Thor to follow or even turn to see if he is, going up the stairs as fast as he can. He slams his door and locks it, pressing his back against it to hear if Thor is going to attempt to talk to him. A breath of relief escapes him when he hears Thor's door shut down the hall.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He doesn't quite know what to think of his mother's observation of Thor. Thor is not intuitive, he has no idea where she deduced that from, and Thor only disapproves of Victor because he's afraid that Loki will end up spending most of his time around—he only disapproves because he—Thor's just—span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sits heavily on his bed. He has absolutely no idea why Thor even disapproves. Gods, he's never actually thought about that part. He only knows that Thor visibly objects of his relationship with Victor and tries to obstruct any attempt of theirs to show affection. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He can admit this, but Loki disapproves or more accurately hates Thor and Jane's relationship because he is maybe kind of… jealous. He's not jealous for the usual reasons, but only because Jane has gotten to touch him in ways that Loki can only fantasize about. Jane's completely unworthy of the chance she's been given, and she probably doesn't even know how to proper appreciate Thor!span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Now, Thor really has no right to even remotely hate Victor and his relationship. He seemed happy that they were friends the first few days, but something changed, and Loki's unsure of what did.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"If Thor were gay, Loki would not hesitate to say that he was jealous of Loki for being with Victor or maybe even the other way around, but Thor's not, and he has Jane fucking Foster to cuddle to death while they have star talk. He has no right to even get involved. Normal brothers just tease their younger sibling, not try to ruin their relationships.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He figures that Thor's just extremely strange and has no idea how he's supposed to behave with his step-brother. The shower incident was indicative of that since most step-brothers would not comment on their step-brother's attractiveness without clothing. That was definitely not something that happened in most households, but then again, most households do not have a boy that looks like Thor under their roofs either. Loki is lucky and unique in that regard.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Lucky. He snorts. He's never considered knowing Thor to be a lucky thing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the morning, he wakes up with a start, blindly feeling for his alarm clock in the dim light of the morning. He has no idea how it even got on, but he's definitely not happy about being up at—he squints in the darkness and sees it's 8:03. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's an expectation of Thor to be downstairs with his morning tea and oatmeal, but he finds the kitchen empty, the stove hood light on and casting a dreary glow about everything. He doesn't know why he was expecting Thor to even be up this early, but he remembers Thor waking him up at the crack of dawn many times before. It seems that Thor actually doesn't have any vendetta against sleeping in. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He dawdles as he eats. He moves extremely slow as he fries himself an egg and creams his bagel at a pace that should set some world record for the slowest application of a condiment. It's 10:30 when he finally sits down to eat.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's eleven hours until he's getting picked up, and he has a feeling that getting fitted for a tuxedo does not take that long. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How will he kill the time?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A few knocks on Thor's door later, Loki still finds himself standing in the hallway. The house is eerily silent around him, and he's almost sure that he's alone. When everyone left, he doesn't know, but it's not the most reassuring thought that they went without even sending a text his way.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki respects others' privacy, wanting others to respect his in return, and when he does snoop, he's very tactful about it and sticks to what he's searching for. The temptation of looking into other places which he isn't there for is never big. He has little time for small secrets.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He opens his door, and it's one of the first times that Loki's actually seen Thor's room in full. He gets fleeting glimpses of it when he passes, but he has never been that curious about Thor's living space. Why? He's never actually thought about it. It would have made sense for him to want to, seeing as how his bedroom would reflect him, and he could have skipped the getting to know him from one on one contact stage of their relationship. Well, that definitely would have solved a lot of Loki's problems, wouldn't it have?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The walls are blue, the ceiling white, and everything else seems to be a mismatch of four different colors. His hand runs over the red velvet bedspread and onto the grey pillows. It looks as if Thor has been gone a while, and Loki feels a pang in his chest as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He's not sure what to think about that revelation as he takes in the rest of his room.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Next to the closet, there's a section of pictures all hung up that Loki stands up to get a better look at. At closer inspection, Loki realizes that they're pictures of stars and other celestial objects, notes written in what appears to be Thor's handwriting adorning most of them, and his fingers ghost over the barely there indentations from the pencil and pen. He can imagine Thor reining in his strength to not slice through the paper, that look of concentration on his face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How cute.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pulls his fingers away as if he's been shocked, and realizes that, gods, he's got it bad.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Something catches his eye when he goes to leave Thor's room, and it turns out to be a piece of notebook paper on top of the bureau, Thor's scrawl large on the paper. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"'Loki,span/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Knew you'd come into my room, so here's this letter. I'm at Tony's where I'll be spending the day. I'm observant enough to estimate your measurements for you. Your mother set up your fitting for 12:00 at the shop Rothman's NYC, and she said (I quote her) "Don't be too early." span/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Have fun on your "book date."span/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"-Thorspan/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"P.S. I hope you like my room. 'span/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor knew that he would go searching for him in his bedroom, so he decided to play a little game and keep the note of explanation in there as well. Loki's going to have to pay Thor a bit of remuneration for that and the use of book date in quotations. He thinks he's comical, doesn't he?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's a fan of "games" himself, and it seems that Thor does not have a clue what he's gotten himself into. If he thought that the show at the gym was bad, he's in for an excellent surprise.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Leaving the note in the exact same place he found it, he leaves Thor's room, closing the door behind him. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How nice of his mother to do that for him. He would think that it was her coming around to the idea of him going on a date with Victor, but Loki knows better. She's trying to stay as close to Loki as she can in an attempt to keep an eye on him. He uses the tactic himself when he wants to learn some information without being obvious or asking outright. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's tempted to leave now, but he settles for going into his room and getting on his laptop to pass the time. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki does not jerk off even if he finds his mind wandering to what Thor would look like while lying on that bedspread—which Loki finds extremely titillating to use as an excuse to sneak into Thor's room one night— sans clothes. He ends up reading an actual science journal about a passing asteroid, channeling Jane Foster, and the fact that it reminds him of her makes his hard-on soften in seconds.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The stars, they're interesting and all of that cool stuff, and Loki's maybe slightly interested, but it's not to compete with Jane in astronomy talk with Thor. He only ends up reading a few more articles on said asteroid because he's interested, okay, no other reason.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The buzz of his phone in his pocket interrupts him mid-sentence, and Loki rushes to finish it before his concentration is completely shot. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's Tony Stark, and that somehow makes it all the worse at being interrupted. Hitting the 'read message' option, he sits back with a sigh.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"'emWe don't talk to people who date Doomys, so you shouldn't date a Doomy.' emThe immaturity from yesterday is still there and at full force. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"'emThere is only one 'Doomy', Stark, unless you're referring to a relative.' emHe shouldn't even be replying, but he feels the need to tell Tony that he's wrong. Stark is the last person that he needs validation from, but here he is still acknowledging his stupidity as worthy of reply./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He doesn't have enough time to put his phone down before the reply comes. 'emThat was so romantic. Tell him that later at dinner.'em/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"'emHow do you know we have dinner?em' he asks. He does not remember mentioning dinner to Tony in that terrible phone conversation./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"This time there is no reply for the ten minutes that Loki lies there and finishes the article. He's slightly relieved but also worried that Tony decided that it was that question he would not answer. A part of him suspects something but getting worried over Stark's antics is not worth it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's 10:25 when he heads out of the house, and he still has two hours to waste before his appointment. His mother warned him not to be too early, knowing that Loki is one to show up with time to spare, and it's not as if he would have shown up an hour early without her warning. He would have made it there with ten minutes to spare like he plans to do now.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He hails a cab, his laptop tucked under his arm, and tells the driver to take him to the nearest coffee shop. There's nothing better to do than sit around at some café on his laptop as he drinks coffee, getting the entire New Yorker experience as he's seen in so many movies set in the city. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's let off a few blocks from Central Park in front of a coffee shop that looks like it's been stripped from the screen of a romantic comedy, wide windows with people sitting in the window seats or at a table stationed close. It's obviously meant to call back to the days where beatnik artists were rampant. Loki thinks that he may be able to fit the archetype if he tries to look aloof and let his natural condescension to the surface.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He steps inside, and a dozen pairs of bespectacled eyes turn to look at him. A glare is sent in all of their directions, and they all turn back to their coffee and gadgets and novels as if nothing happened. He understands that he's hard to miss with how tall he is, but that does not excuse people to turn and gawk at him like some oddity. It's New York City, a city of diversity known for attractions much stranger than Loki will ever be. He fits this place more than they do with their vintage glasses and neckties.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, what can I get you?" the barista asks, wearing those same glasses as everyone else. "You look like you could totally use a mocha Frappuccino with a cinnamon garnish and extra foam."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stares at the girl as if she's lost her mind. "No, I would actually like a plain coffee, please." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She gives him a disapproving look as she brews his coffee, and he doesn't hesitate to give her a nice sharp look back.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A hand touches his arm, and he almost pushes the person away when he realizes that he knows them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh, Loki, do you care to come and take a seat with me?" It's Professor Xavier, grandfather sweater and all. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods and pays for his coffee, following him back to a table in the corner of the shop. There's a laptop and a box sitting there next to a mug of tea, and it's fitting for the man. He does seem like he would come to a place like this.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of seeing you here," Professor Xavier says as he takes his seat. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, you haven't," he replies, taking a sip of his coffee. "I can't say that I am surprised to see you here, Professor Xavier."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He smiles. "Well, I guess the sweaters are a dead giveaway, and please do call me Charles. We are not under Fury's stony gaze or in danger of someone hearing you and futilely attempting to get me fired." He takes a sip of his tea. "And I am afraid that no one would even care then. I am quite liked."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles is not lacking in self-confidence, and Loki thinks that is a pretty admirable thing of him. He's demonstrated his brilliance and kept them entertained in Creative Writing so far. The teacher is an okay person in his opinion, perhaps a bit… outdated for his tastes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I told the cab driver to take me to a coffee shop, and he dropped me off in front of this one." He takes a gulp of his coffee, which has cooled some, to a perfect temperature. "I have to wait for my tuxedo fitting appointment."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, date with Mr. von Doom?" Loki gives Charles a confused look, and Charles chuckles. "Not much slips past me, Loki. I have been told that my skills of observation are most unnerving."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's more impressed than anything. "No, it's fine," he replies. "Yes, you're correct. I do have a… date with Victor. Dinner actually."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles eyes flit to somewhere behind Loki, and a wry smile appears on his face. "I must admit that I had a platonic date of my own. I'm afraid you may know him. Erik," he says, nodding, and Loki turns to see that Professor Lehnsherr is standing behind him. "You know Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki looks up at him, and he feels like he's not supposed to be there between them, but gods does he look good in that leather jacket. "Hello, Professor Lehnsherr," he says, standing up to shake his hand.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr's handshake is wooden, and he looks extremely bewildered. "Erik," he corrects. "Well, I was not expecting to see you here. I don't recall ever seeing you here before either."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That's because he's never been, Erik," Charles says, standing up. "Loki, if you would care to join us, we are going to play chess down in Bryant Park. We're walking there, so grab everything you have."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki glances at the nearest wall clock and sees that there is still over an hour left and shrugs, figuring that it wouldn't hurt. He's spending time with two of his teachers, one of whom he's flirted with on several different occasions, and now he's going to walk with through the city with them. This is definitely not something he saw himself doing this morning.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""How far do you live from here, if you don't mind me asking?" Charles says, walking on Loki's other side. He still has his mug of tea, which Loki thinks may be something he actually brought from home.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Lenox Hill."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles scoffs. "And you told the cabbie to bring you to the closest coffee shop? He may have been a bit daft. I make the trek from Carnegie Hill myself, and I would not consider that the closest coffee shop."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Charles, not everyone has your brain power," Erik replies. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You know he's going on a date with Victor von Doom later today," Charles says, completely changing the subject, and Loki looks over to see Erik's reaction.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His eyebrows are raised, and he looks surprised. "So you and von Doom are together. Interesting."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Interesting? I feel like there is some undertone there."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Erik," Charles says in a warning tone, taking a seat at one of the chess boards. "Where are you getting your tux?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Rothman's."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles looks stricken. "Of course not," he replies, taking Erik's shoulder bag from him and pulling out a box of chess pieces. "You're new to this city and the many offers of services that it has. You're going to my usual. I insist that you get the finest of all tuxedos, and you will not get that anywhere else."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Charles, you're being pushy," Erik says as he sits down. "Loki, you can go wherever you want. Charles is just… outdated."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki realizes that Erik has pulled up a chair for him and sits down. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I am simply traditional. I blame the old money."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sits back and watches as they fall into a comfortable silence with a few comments here and there. They're good, and Loki's only played chess a few times, but this display is definitely something special. Also, he knows that there is an underlying tension between them, and any sexual attraction that he has for Erik feels strange like he's obstructing their love.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Check," Charles says. "If I win, we go to my haberdasher."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik moves another piece. "Check," he replies, "and it's a deal."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're playing for my tuxedo, and I was not even given a choice in the matter," Loki says, shaking his head. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Nope, you were not."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""emSchachmattem," Erik says, and he turns and grins at Loki. "Checkmate."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles looks like he's about to throw a tantrum for a moment, staring down at the board with wide eyes. He looks like he could be a teenager, and Loki's about to ask what his age actually is when he returns to his normal demeanor and smiles softly. "Good game, my friend."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Somehow an hour has passed, and it's 11:48 when they leave the park. If Loki ever needs to pass more time, he knows what he's going to come and watch a game of chess. He has a feeling that he would be fairly proficient, being an excellent strategist. Perhaps he would be good enough to even beat Erik.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The first step they take into the massive store on 18supthsup and Park is when Loki realizes that Charles does not take losing in stride and is actually a sore loser./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's far too industrial," he says as they go searching for an employee. "My haberdasher is more personal."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik ignores him as he gets the attention of the store clerk. "Excuse me; we are here for an appointment."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The man looks at the three of them, and when his eyes land on Loki they widen. Loki has no idea why people seem to have had that reaction around him as of late. "For a Go-See?" he says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Go-See? Loki throws the phrase around his head until he matches it up with none other than… emAmerica's Next Top Modelem. He's guilty of catching a few episodes on the odd night, and it's been enough times for him to remember. But why would he ask Loki that? On that show they're all models, and Go-Sees are—oh./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki throws his head back and laughs. "No, I'm not even a model," he says, shaking his head. "I actually have an appointment at 12:00. Laufeyson, perhaps?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're not a model?" It's his turn to laugh, and he does so until he's red in the face. "That's one of the funniest things that I've heard this morning, but come follow me anyway."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He thinks you're lying," Charles says, and Loki wants to turn to him and say "obviously", but he doesn't think he will appreciate it. "You do have sort of a model-esque body. You're extraordinarily tall and thin."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And, Charles, you are just realizing this?" Erik rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "He screams model. Look at him." Loki glances away when he gives him a once over. "You've seen emAmerica's Next Top Modelem, emProject Runway./em All of them have his body type."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""This is a 40L," the clerk says as he comes out with a garment bag. "Follow me, Mr. I'm Not A Model."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He is left alone in a fairly large dressing room, and he begins to undress. In the full body mirrors, he realizes how stroppy he looks, and it is easy to see why the man might think that he's a model. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pulls on the trousers and oxford shirt, buttoning it up with ease. He shrugs on the jacket and lets the bowtie hang around his neck loosely. It's slightly too roomy for Loki's tastes, but he does not want people to be able to see what is underneath his clothes. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Whoa," the clerk says when Loki exits the dressing room. "I mean… wow."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stands in the center of the circular carpet, Charles sitting in one of the armchairs with a finger on his temple as he looks on, and Erik stands up from the seat next to him. He begins to circle Loki, or better yet, stalk him as if he is a baby gazelle, and Loki's almost terrified that he's going to attempt to murder him with the look he's got in his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Erik, stop it, you look like a villain from a Disney movie," Charles says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik stops stalking him and stands there, head cocked to the side. "It's too big." He looks at the clerk. "This is too loose. Give him something more form-fitting."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The clerk doesn't argue, disappearing to find another suit, and Loki's sure that he's as afraid of Erik as he was for a moment.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He changes into the next suit, having taken it from the smug looking clerk, and he realizes quickly that it fits much, much better than the previous one. It feels like his casual clothes with the way it hugs his body. He adjusts the jacket and checks out how he looks in the mirror.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"If Thor were to see him, he wouldn't be able to resist, he thinks. Even if he is straight, he would not be able to say no if Loki were to just happen to fall into his lap and offer himself up. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He banishes the thought as he exits the dressing room. He should only care what Victor thinks, not Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're such a liar," the clerk says. "That's a suit straight off the rack from a Hugo Boss show. You fit it perfectly. You are a model, and a bad, bad liar."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You look… wow." Charles stands with his hands in his pockets next to Erik. "May I suggest an alternative option so we are no facilitating the instigation of underage sexual activities?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik takes a step up to Loki before dropping down onto his haunches and wrapping his beautifully large hands around his leg and slowly moving upward. "Inseam?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""36 inches," the clerk says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki holds his breath when Erik's hands stop just below the line of his boxers. If he gets an erection in these pants, it's going to be extremely hard to miss. He stares straight ahead, trying hard not to think about the fact that one of the most beautiful men he's ever seen is only inches away from touching his cock. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Rise?" His hands go up slightly, and Loki gulps.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The standard 11 inches."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Erik, there is a thing called child molestation, and it applies to people under 18 years of age."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His hands thankfully move to the outside of Loki's legs before settling on his waist. "Waist?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""32 inches."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's perfect." Erik stands up, crossing his arms. "Yes, he'll take it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He changes back into his casual clothes, and he feels slightly excited about the date now. He has his tuxedo which looks absolutely stunning on him, and there's no doubt in his mind that Victor's going to look the same in his own tuxedo. They're going to go to dinner and have intelligent conversation over gourmet food, and people are going to look on in envy at how perfect they look together.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You need shoes," Charles says as the clerk rings up his tuxedo. "We have to get you shoes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Charles…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They do not have the best selection of shoes here. We could just make a quick stop at my haberdasher before…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"There's still around six hours until he has to be home, so he sees no reason not to take a stop at this perfect haberdashery that Charles insists is so good. "Fine," he says, taking the garment bag from him. "We can go to your haberdasher."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He has excellent taste, Erik. He knows what's good for him."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Going to SoHo for shoes, really?" He shuts the cab door. "Loki, don't let his patriarchal charm get to you. It's all an act. He's actually only a 27 year old man in ugly sweaters. Cares nothing about anything except his tea."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I would point out that my sweaters are not ugly, but I see that you're biased with your love of leather jackets and turtlenecks, which I find to be quite endearing and true to your personality. Now, come and find the best shoes that shall ever grace your feet in this lifetime."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His haberdashery turns out to be a shop filled to the brim with formal wear displays. There are multicolored suits everywhere, hats line the walls, and gods does it make sense that Charles would like a place like this. It's so old-fashioned.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Mr. Xavier," says an old man, coming to pat him on the back. "What can I help you with?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We need shoes for a black tuxedo."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then you came to the right place. Follow me." The man grabs a pair of shiny black shoes from one of the shelves, not even bothering to ask Loki's shoe size. "Here," he says, handing them to Loki. "Try them on."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He wants to protest and ask how he could possibly know but takes a seat in one of the armchairs and removes his shoes, replacing them with the oxfords. They fit perfectly, and Loki has to look up at the man to expression his surprise.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I've been in the business since his father was a boy. I know my shoes, son."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're taking them," Charles says. "You now have your own H. Herzfeld Fine shoes and have become a real gentleman."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki reaches for his wallet, but the man stops him before he can pull out his debit card, chuckling. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The Xaviers are our best customers. They never pay and never will."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I blame the old money," Charles murmurs. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki wants to demand that the man take his money, but he sees the glint in his eye that tells him that he would probably just stand there and stare at Loki until he relented. He isn't stepping down. No, he's just choosing not to fight this pointless battle. He will eventually find a way to repay this man whether he likes it or not.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He takes the shoebox, looking the man in the eye hard as he does so. He tries to convey the message through his eyes that he has not won this battle.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Let's go for lunch," Charles suggests as Erik hails a cab in between them. "I'm famished."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki glances down at the clock on his phone display and sees that there are still five hours.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Where?" Erik asks, opening the door for Charles. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki slips in after him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The three of them end up at emGotham Bar and Grillem for lunch, and conversation flows nicely until Charles asks how things are going between him and Thor as if he were Stark, and presses further when Loki sips his water and replies that everything is fine. Erik stops Charles mid-sentence several times when he goes farther than he should, not only as his teacher but as someone Loki wouldn't consider a close friend, and after Charles tells him to "consider his feelings," Loki stands from the table and thanks them for lunch with gritted teeth. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He seethes on the way home.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you're back," his mother says as he closes the front door behind him. "Did you get everything alright?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Fine," he replies, laying the garment bag on the counter and the box of shoes on top of it. "Where did you go this morning?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, I had to do some grocery shopping. Did you get Thor's note?" So she knows about the note. He wonders if she knows the extent to how Thor strategically placed it in his bedroom.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, I did, and I was only ten minutes early, Mother. I didn't need your chiding."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You didn't tell me that you knew Tony Stark." She sets down a plate in front of him before spooning some broccoli onto it. "Thor says that he's a mutual friend of yours."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He is, and I didn't think that it was important."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""All of your friends are important, Loki. I'm your mother, and I have to find out who your friends are from Thor, not you. That's not right."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pulls the plate toward him, taking the fork from him, and begins to push the food around. "And neither is, Stark. You don't need to be exposed to his stupidity."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""emMin lilla Jötnarem, he cannot be that bad," she says, offering him an amused look. "Thor likes him, and he's a-"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""-pretty good judge of character?" he asks, lifting an eyebrow at her. "Mother, please, he likes everyone."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Not your little empojkvänem." When he looks at her with wide eyes, she rounds the island and sits down on the stool next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. It feels as though she hasn't done this in ages, and he finds that he missed it. "I know, Loki, and I want you to know that I love you anyway. I've known forever, and ever, and I just want my emis prins/em to be happy. I have to say that I will not hesitate to destroy him if he dares to take the light out of your eyes."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's something so like what his mother would say, and it makes a smile break out over his face. He can't imagine what life would be like without her.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I said the same about Odin," he replies. "I still mean it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He likes you, you know that?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He doesn't reply verbally, only putting a piece of broccoli into his mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's always wanted another son, and now he has you. Thor's always wanted a brother as well, and I'm pretty sure that he's more than satisfied with you as you are with him." She runs a hand over his hair. "I know you, Loki. You're changing, but I know you. Now eat your food, and stop playing with it. You're a young man now."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Mother…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Eat, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He does as she says, his mother watching over him as he eats, and it feels a lot like home again. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The two of them end up in the den watching emWallanderem reruns to pass the time. Loki pretends to act put off when she begins to stroke his hair absently, but he silently revels in the familiar touch of his mother. She's usually too busy working or off doing something spousal with Odin to sit there and spend time with Loki. Gods, he's missed it more than he even realized. He was sure that he was over the childish need for maternal attention./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"After three episodes, his mother pushes him to his feet and tells him to go get ready before Victor arrives, and he rolls his eyes but feels himself beginning to smile as he grabs his suit and shoes and heads upstairs to change.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's not conceited by any means, but he has to admit to himself that he looks absolutely magnificent after he's fully changed into his tuxedo and shoes. His bowtie hangs loose around his neck because he knows that his mother will insist on doing it when he gets downstairs, and he buttons his jacket closed before straightening out his lapels.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Damn, Loki, you look good," he says to his reflection, turning around to stare at his ass. It looks amazing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His mother's eyes widen as he descends the stares, and he makes an effort to show her that he's rolling his eyes and huffing in exasperation. "Loki…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I know, I look amazing," he says, stopping in front of her to let her tie his bowtie.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She nods, taking the two ends in her hands and begins to tie it. "I am awfully tempted to tell him that he cannot ever see my son again or talk to him or especially not touch him. Yes, he cannot touch you under any circumstances. If you're choking, tell him to go ask for another mother to perform the Heimlich maneuver."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You always said that I was the overdramatic one, Mother."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I know; you inherited it from me." She steps backward, silence falling between them only accompanied by the low lull of the television in the other room. Loki would be afraid that she is going to cry if he didn't know her so well, but his mother is much more emotionally stable than he is. "You're becoming more and more like him every day," she says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki doesn't know how to respond. There's a mixture of rage, sorrow, and pride running through his veins when he formulates his reply, but he doesn't get the chance to say it because the doorbell rings. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His mother opens the door, revealing an extremely dapper looking Victor. "Why, hello, you must be Victor. Come in, come in."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He steps past the threshold. "Yes, I am," he says, and he takes her hand and shakes it with a brush of his fingers down her wrist, Loki rolling his eyes at his mother's reaction.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Smooth," she says. "It makes sense why my son's interested. Loki was never into the boring types. And I must say that you are one good looking young man. Your hair is… wondrous."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor's eyes flicker over to Loki, and he looks adorably uncomfortable. "Er, thank you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, thank you," she replies, and Loki hears emthatem tone in her voice and knows what's coming. "Victor, you are legally an adult in this country, correct?"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, I'm 18-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I know, Thor told me. You know, he is an awfully helpful young man both mentally and physically. He is extraordinarily massive for a teenager himself, muscles and all of that. He gets it from his father. He's quite large too. They're also both quite protective as well."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor looks both amused and alarmed. "I mean well, and I do not plan on bringing any harm to your son. I am quite aware of the damage Thor is capable of doing on me, and it is a frightening prospect, but I hope that it will not come to that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She smiles. "I hope as well. Now, you two should go if you want to make your reservation on time. Loki, behave yourself, and, Victor, bring my son home before 11:00. Any longer and there will be words."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki grabs Victor's jacket sleeve and pulls him down the stairs, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Your mother is nice," Victor says, glancing up and waving at her through the window. "She's also very protective, almost unnervingly so."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki notices that there is a silver sports car parked next to the curb, and oh does it make Tony's car look average in comparison. He stops at the passenger side to marvel at how the environment reflects off of its metallic surface, creating a beautiful picture. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He moves to the side as Victor opens the door for him. "Care for a ride?" he asks, smirking.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki steps into the car, Victor shutting the door behind him, and he realizes that there's something Victor is not telling him. "Victor, what do you do for a living?" he asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor touches his finger on a cyan circle and the car comes to life. "I was a child prodigy with a knack for investing," he replies as he pulls away from the curb. "It's left me financially set for life, but that doesn't mean that I don't plan to pursue a career after high school. Laziness is not a trait I've been graced with."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns and looks at his profile. "You are amazing."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The same can be said for you," he replies. "We're going to a French restaurant, so I hope you enjoy French cuisine."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span lang="FR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR;""spanemspan lang="FR" style="font-size: 11.5pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; color: #2a2a2a; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"J/span/ememspan lang="FR"e n'ai jamais dégusté la cuisine française/span/emspan lang="FR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: FR;"," he replies. /spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Is it good?"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor glances at him in disbelief for a moment before grinning. "Yes, it is, and I think that may have been the most arousing thing I have ever heard in my life. If I can get you to speak French more, I think my needs will be permanently sated." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki grins. "Maybe I will."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They pull up in front of a building, Victor parking in front of the entrance before coming around to open Loki's door before he gets the chance to. Loki gives him a look which Victor responds to with a shrug and a smirk.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The actual restaurant is on the top floor of the building, and the entrance hallway feels regal with its deep purples and rich reds. It's a red a lot like Thor's bedspread, velvety red bedspread that Loki would-span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Von Doom," Victor says to the hostess causing Loki's mind to come back to reality.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Follow me," she says, and Victor's hand comes up to rest on Loki's back, gently guiding him. "And here is your table," she says, gesturing to the table for two in front of them. "A server will be over in a moment to take your order."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sits down opposite Victor, having pulled out his chair before Victor could, and he looks over the balcony next to them overlooking a lower level the other restaurant, seeing the fountain in the center. It's absolutely beautiful, and one of the prettiest restaurants Loki has had dinner in. He wasn't expecting anything less from Victor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What do you think?" Victor asks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He turns and looks at him. "It's stunning."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Fitting for the way you look tonight," he replies, and the two of them let out a laugh after a few moments. "Sorry, I could not pass up that opportunity. But really, Loki, you look… perhaps there's a word in another language that can properly express it because English is failing me now. Wait, pulchritudinous, it's English, but an underrated word."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I could've settled for beautiful," he replies.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, don't ever settle. You're worth much more than anything you need to settle for. What did you do today?" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sets his menu aside, having settled for a pasta dish. "I spent the day with two of our teachers, Professor Lehnsherr and Professor Xavier," he replies. "It was completely unexpected but enjoyable until Xavier lapsed back into his professor routine, and I decided to leave while we were still being cordial to each other."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor chuckles. "Yes, Charles Xavier is quite the charmer," he replies, grinning. "At least you got the life experience."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The server comes, and Victor orders their food in perfect French, and Loki wonders if there is anything that he cannot do. He's absolutely talented, and it's definitely enticing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're near-perfect," Loki says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He smiles. "Thank you, but we all have flaws. Near-perfect is an accurate term for sure."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki tastes his food when the server comes back with it, Victor watching him from the other side of the table as he does. He chews intently, holding back his reaction to make Victor more and more anxious. It's cruel, but what can he say? He likes games.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's… good," he says, and Victor lets out a sigh of relief. "As soon as I tasted it, I thought so."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor's eyes narrow playfully as he takes a bite of his food. "So uncouth."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As he eats, Loki lets his eyes wonder around the restaurant, taking in the classical paintings by French artists hanging on the wall and the variety of people who all appear to be dressed in their finest around them—though none of the ones that he sees compare to Victorspanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';". He turns to look back at Victor when something catches his eye or someone./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki takes another bite of his food to appear neutral as he turns his attention to the table on the Eastern side of the balcony. There are two men dining at a table situated slightly off the balcony, and a voice in Loki's head says that he recognizes them even if he's not sure who they are. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""What are you planning to do after graduation?" Loki asks Victor as he puts his fork down. He needs to distract him from the fact that he's no longer eating and instead looking around like a madman.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""During the summer, I'm travelling back to Europe to…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He looks back at Victor, offering him a smile, before he turns to look back at the table. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"One of the men is holding a menu over his face, and a red flag is thrown up in Loki's mind. The restaurant is filled with the type of people who do not hold menus over their faces. Something is up.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""…and my philanthropic fund has been distributing…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The menu drops low enough on the man's face for Loki's mind to instantly recognize the man.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony Stark.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki moves his gaze back to Victor for a few minutes to try and calm his now pounding heart in his chest. He glances down and notices that the veins in his hands are bulging because he's clenching his fists so hard, so he grabs ahold of his glass and takes a gulp of his drink to calm his nerves. He wishes it were something a bit stronger, but it turns out America's drinking laws are against him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark peeks over the top of his menu—he's wearing those goofy sunglasses—clearly thinking that he's being covert, and Loki rolls his eyes into his glass. If he's going to spy on Loki, he should put up a better effort of not being so Tony Stark-like. He's not the most inconspicuous person.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""…and I told him that I planned to pursue a career in nuclear fusion due to the vast potential the field holds. Is there something wrong?" Victor sets his fork down and stares at Loki, probably having seen him looking over there.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, I'm…" His eyes flicker over to where Stark is staring at him over his menu.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor looks over in that direction, but Stark has already put his menu back up over his eyes. "What?" he asks, eyebrows furrowed. He knows there's definitely something Loki's not telling him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I thought I saw someone I knew," he says. It's not lying. "Continue. I was listening."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He grins at Loki and launches back into conversation, picking up where he left off without pause. Seeing him talk about something he's so passionate about is absolutely wonderful-span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark has dropped his entire menu down and is pointing somewhere out to Steve across from him. Steve looks like he would rather be anywhere else, and Loki feels the same. He wishes that they were anywhere else too.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""…and I plan to go to MIT for a year of undergraduate studies I have left."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They would be idiots not to accept you," he replies in an attempt to make sure that Victor knows he's listening. He seems to enjoy flattery, so all he has to do is interject subject-relevant compliments at different points of the conversation.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor takes a sip and nods his head. "Of course they would. What I worry…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki glances at Victor once more before turning to see where Tony is pointing. Dear gods, Natasha and Clint are sitting across from the restaurant. Natasha's wearing some retro-style glasses that obscure most of her face, but that red hair is unmistakable. Clint's scarfing down his food as fast as usual, his bowtie undone around his neck. This is sheer ridiculousness.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He grits his teeth and turns back to Victor, flashing him a smile of reassurance. This is not Victor's fault that his friends don't seem to understand the concept of privacy. He was expecting a normal date as Loki was, but his friends took it upon themselves to hunt them down and stake themselves around the restaurant as if Loki's some target. He feels awfully like one with them "sneaking" glances at him like he's prone to leave. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""…and there's a fortune."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark takes his sunglasses off and puts them in the collar of his shirt, trying to pull his menu over his face before he thinks that Loki sees. It's deathly obvious that Tony Stark is sitting at that table now, and Loki thinks that it won't be soon before Victor happens to notice. Tony is not ruining this date.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor, I think that I see a friend of mine over at that table, and I haven't seen them since I left Sweden," he says, far-fetched but Victor likely doesn't care. "Do you mind if I go and say hello?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, of course not. Go ahead." Victor watches Loki stand up, smile tight. "I will be here when you get back. I promise."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki nods and keeps eye contact with Victor as long as his eyes follow him between the tables, but when Victor's head turns around, he speeds up his pace, balling his fists as he nears closer and closer to Stark's table. If he happens to punch Stark in the mouth for this, he cannot be blamed. Even Loki has his limits.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stops in front of their table, staring down Stark as he talks to Steve about some binoculars that he's been working on that see through clothes—how charming-and he doesn't notice Loki until Steve turns and sees him there. Steve's eyes widen exponentially, and his jaw drops as he tries to formulate words.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark turns and sees Loki there not long afterward, his eyebrows raising in alarm, but he schools his features when the fear seems to pass. Tony should be afraid. He's gotten Loki very, very angry, and an angry Loki is not one to be trifled with.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh, hey, big L!" he says, trying to smile that winning grin of his, but it falls flat. "Fancy seeing you here?" His tone is unsure, and he knows that Loki does not find this funny at all.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What are you doing here, Stark?" he demands. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Having dinner, duh. What does it look like?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You know exactly what I mean." He glances at Steve. "You're here to spy on us."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony stands up from his chair, holding his hands out defensively. Loki rolls his eyes, knowing that Tony is not taking this entire situation seriously. "'Spying' has negative connotations. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stop with your joking!" he shouts, and he gets a few looks from the patrons around him. Lowering his voice, he adds, "I don't have time for this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, what's going—oh shit, that's not good." Clint stops short of the table, looking surprised to see Loki. "Was not expecting to see you here."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I share the same sentiment."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha comes up next to Loki and takes off of her sunglasses, looking up at him. "Loki, we should explain-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""There is no explanation that'll satisfy me, but you know what will? If you'd all so kindly leave, that'd really make me consider ever acknowledging your existence again."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh…" Tony tilts his head to the side. "See we can't do that. There's this thing we have planned, and it involves us being here, and you being here too. So that means you can't leave either. We're all staying."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What makes you think I would be so eager to comply?" he replies, scanning all of their faces. He cannot believe that they have the nerve to look so confused at his anger. They're all guilty of delving into his personal life uninvited. His anger is warranted.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki." He turns and sees Jane standing there. What is emsheem doing there?/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're here too. A grand affair this is." He smiles sardonically. "Did you hire a string quartet as well?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki-" Natasha starts, but she's interrupted by the entrance of yet another person. Actually, two people. Great.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor and Bruce join their crowd around the table, and Loki feels the anger and just pure, unadulterated rage he's been holding at bay begin to spill over. He wants nothing more than to hit someone, to make them feel pain and all of the feelings he's feeling at this mass betrayal.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor, his step-brother, is in on it. It makes sense that he went to Stark's so early. They probably sat around and formulated this plan while Loki was unsuspecting and busy getting his tuxedo. His step-brother who is supposed to stand by Loki at all times is here with his traitorous so-called "friends." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""A sea of traitorous people," he says aloud, grinning at the craziness of it. "I've surrounded myself with them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, these people aren't traitors but friends looking out for you," Thor says, stepping forward toward Loki. Loki takes a resulting step backward. "I came here to ensure that you're protected."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I don't need protection!" he shouts, and he glares at all of the diners who turn and look at him, causing them to turn back around. "I'm not a child!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We know that," Natasha says. "We're not protecting you because you're a child-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's because you're our friend," Tony says, and he's wearing his serious face. How cute of him to try and take something seriously for once.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You've all practiced your lines, great. Now, when does the next act start, or do I have to see this great reveal?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor's not who you think he-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And who in the hell do I think he is?" he replies, baring his teeth at Clint. "What do you all think he is? What is this proof of his other side? Why not just tell me instead of humiliating me in front of my date. He probably thinks I've deserted him."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, actually, no-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We knew you wouldn't believe us, Loki," Steve says, speaking for the first time. "I did not agree with this initially, but Victor isn't the kind of person you should be alone with."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He laughs. "'Alone with.' I doubt that's happening after tonight."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yeah, that's a sure thing," Tony says, and Loki turns to glare at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What did Victor do that's possibly so despicable. Please, tell me. I'll be glad to hear your excuses for deciding that spying on me during a date was not at all an overreaction and violation of my trust and privacy. What, has he sold SHIELD secrets to filthy outsiders?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, kind of…" Stark begins, but he shakes his head.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Their eyes dart about as if they're afraid that the truth will burn them. The truth will be the only, only change of salvation for the friendship or rather association he has with any of them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They all exchange weary glances, all except Thor, and Loki looks at him for answers.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor's involved with dangerous people and will do anything it takes to get what he wants, and when he doesn't get what he wants, he reacts in unstable ways," Thor says. "He's made emothersem the object of his frustrations, with the use of his fists, and gone to great lengths to get what he wants. Not too long before we came, Susan Storm narrowly escaped him with her life, but Victor got away with what he did. I won't let him do that to you."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How unfortunate that they couldn't get Susan herself to come in their righteous procession and say this herself.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" "He's abusive," Loki says, lifting an eyebrow. "You think that I would be one of his victims, right?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's shoulders slump. "Loki, it's not a matter of you being a victim. It's that Victor is—"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki," Victor's voice says from behind him, "what are all of them doing here?" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony and Steve rise from their chairs as the crowd of them shift closer to Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes a sharp breath through his nose as a waiter bearing a large tray of food makes his way to maneuver through them and takes Victor by the arm in the ensuing shuffle to move and pulls him along.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They shout after him and glasses clatter to the ground as they try and fail to follow.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor and he come to a stop, barely panting, at Victor's car, and there, Victor slides his arm from Loki's hand and takes Loki's arms in his, his grip firm and his eyes just as. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You never answered my question," he says, removing one hand to remove his car keys.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They're crashing our date because they are under some kind of belief that I need protection from you." Loki shakes his head and breathes out in disbelief. He's taller than most of them, in better shape than most of them. He doesn't need protection.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And do you believe them?" Victor glances at him before he opens the car door.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki laughs. "Why would I?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As Victor pulls away from the curb, Thor and Robert emerge from the restaurant, mouths moving around shouts to "Stop!" that Loki sees in the side mirror. Victor doesn't stop, and Loki doesn't tell him to.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I had an inkling that something like this would happen," Victor says. "Those people, they have their own preconceived notions of Victor von Doom and expect everyone else to share them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I can think for myself unlike Thor," Loki replies. "They've been trying to subtly drop hints since we've began talking, but when I asked, they said nothing. They're cowards."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His phone vibrates in his pocket but remains unchecked. Apologies, begging, he wants none of it from them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor gives no reply and drives in silence, cutting through the taxi cabs with an expression of neutrality, and Loki drums his fingers on the door and chances glances at Victor who simply stares forward with his angular jaw tight.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stops in front of a high rise on the Upper East Side, and Loki grasps the door handle as Victor opens it from his place on the sidewalk. The hand up he offers Loki is stiff, but Loki smiles briefly and thanks him while meeting his shadowed eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki walks in ahead of Victor into his condo and straight to the floor to ceiling windows granting a view of the city around them, Central Park a distant darkness that makes Loki's heart pang. "I haven't seen many views this incredible," he says as he turns to Victor withdrawing his jacket with eyes on Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor sets his jacket on the back of a chair and peels his sleeves up to his elbows, his arm hair as dark and thick as the hair on his head. "In the morning, it's even greater."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He follows Victor past all the metal and marble into his kitchen, dimly lit by the small refrigerator Victor opens, filled with corked bottles that make it easy to forget that Victor is only 18. He accepts the glass of red wine Victor hands him, Victor pouring his own glass, and takes a sip.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's rich, thick on the tip of his tongue.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor leads him to an alcove framed by a floor to ceiling window where the nearest roof seems a mere leap away. He sits beside Loki on the small chair, and sloshes his wine around in its glass, holding it below his nose.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Outlined by the moonlight and the city, Loki could learn to love Victor like he—like he…span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He takes a gulp of his wine and sets it on the ground. "I don't feel unsafe beside you," he says, and Victor looks from the window to him. "The opposite really."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Beside Thor, he's never felt unsafe. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He leans forward and stops just short of Victor's lips and shuts his eyes. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor's hands slip into his hair and grab, and his lips press hard against Loki's, tongue brushing the space between Loki's lips, and he tastes savory like the food they left, and Thor, Thor would taste salty but sweet and like his morning tea or his chocolate protein shake, and Victor's other hand, now free, pulls Loki's jacket off by the back of his collar, Loki left to pull his arms out. Thor would rip it off him, rip the shirt off him instead of unbutton it like Victor begins to.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor can be Thor because Thor can't be Thor for Loki. Not now, not after tonight.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor pulls back, and Loki opens his eyes. "Strip."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stands and Victor simply stares at him, his hands on his knees. Loki takes off his shirt and stops, biting the inside of his bottom lip. "Like what you see so far?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor rises and takes steps toward Loki and Loki takes steps back, briefly looking down to step up a few stairs, until the back of his knees meet soft mattress, buckling beneath him and putting him on his back. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stares at the stone ceiling and pretends that the hand unzipping his pants, pulling them down mid-thigh is golden and strong. He pretends that the hand on him, the precise fingers sliding against him are callused, and he lets out small moans like they are. As the warmth in his gut builds, he turns his head and watches the dark city, and a painful, hard grip keeps his hips to the bed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He shuts his eyes as he cums and tries to grab onto the silk bedding as he's stroked through it. Not messily gentle like Thor would but clinical, the same twisting, up and down motion.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor lets him go, and Loki opens his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"At the edge of his vision, Victor's wiping his hands like it isn't Loki's cum and he didn't just jerk Loki off.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The bathroom's through that door," he says, standing, "and there's a bag of toiletries and a change of clothes. Your dry cleaning will be ready for the morning."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He tosses the wipes in the trashcan and leaves the room.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Skurge would let Loki lay next to him for a few moments before telling him that he had to go to hockey practice or that his girlfriend was coming over later, and Loki knew that the extent of their relationship was blow jobs and hand jobs and rubbing against each other behind closed doors where Skurge couldn't be seen with that strange gay kid, and it didn't bother him. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor would stay, and he'd hold Loki and wax romantic in his ear while Loki tried to regain control of his limbs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki collects his shirt off the ground and his jacket and leaves Victor's condo.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His phone vibrates with a call in his jacket pocket, but he hits the silent button and hails at cab in Columbus Circle.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"This is what they call the walk of shame, skulking out of a bed before dawn sticky with your own cum. He never envied the popular kids who'd come to school wearing a rumpled uniform with stains of some bodily fluid on their shirts because he thought that it'd never be him in their shoes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He steps out of the cab in front of his house and pauses at the lit windows downstairs. A hand smoothing down his hair, a second check of his shirt buttons, a glance at his pant fly, and he climbs the stairs and opens the unlocked door.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The living room's full of them, the people who claimed to be his friends but turned their backs on him so they could try their hand at his guard, and Loki can't muster the rage to scream at them for staring at him like they're actually worried. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Emptiness like the time he stood there at the edge of an unfilled grave, his mother's hand on his shoulder, and voices he barely knew spoke words of kindness for a man who was anything but.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor lifts his head from his hands and stands from his place under Jane Foster's comforting hand.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Mouths open with words to be said, but Loki beats them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm fine," he says. "You can all go home."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He ascends the stairs without a glance over his shoulder because they don't deserve the delight of his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His jacket sheds off him like a weighted vest.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Where were you?" Thor's voice is sharp behind Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sits on his bed and starts on his shoelaces, Thor standing there in the doorway in his coat as if he was ready to take off into the night at any sign of Loki's peril. Was he, really, or was it the guilt that it would be his fault that anything happened to Loki? span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Nowhere," he replies, and Thor rakes a hand over his golden stubble. "As much as I'm flattered at all the attention, I'd be glad if you all left me alone."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stands to step out of his pants.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor stares. "Did he-?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Do anything to me? No. I don't have any bruises, and I'm not bleeding." Loki pauses in front of Thor. "Nothing happened." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As far as Victor's concerned, he probably believes that.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If you'd excuse me, I'm going to take a shower."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor grabs his arm when he passes him in the doorway, the calluses at the bottoms of his fingers hard even through Loki's shirt. "I'm sorry that we ruined your night, but I'm not sorry that I told you the truth. They only told me today, and I couldn't risk seeing you hurt."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki yanks his arm from Thor's with enough force that he stumbles a few steps. "What a great job you did at that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the shower, he can't tell his tears from the water.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" p 


	6. Chapter 6

h2 style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7;" style="font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span!-[endif]-Odin Borson: Overbearing Bastard?!/h2  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"From her post at the stove, his mother turns around to ask him how his date went.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Her eyebrows hover just below incredulity and above curiosity. She has an idea which was bound to happen with emthemem deciding to return here and stake out in their living room. Not all of them made it into cabs and to their homes, away from his, either with some bodies sprawled on his mother's immaculate furniture and curled into balls on the hardwood./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They had enough sense to not dare to make themselves comfortable in Loki's bedroom whether he would have been able to stop them in his sleep or not.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""My time with Victor was fine," he says. Lying to his mother does not end well for Loki, but omitting the actual truth through giving another, often does. "He's an interesting person."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She makes a sound in the back of her throat. "Go awaken your friends. I'll feed them and send them on their way."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns away from her and says, "They're not my friends."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He flips the switch on in the living room, and Natasha's eyes fly open on the edge of the armchair and Bruce stirs on the ground. He takes a breath through his nose and shouts, "Get up!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The rest of them, Stark, Barton, Steve, jolt awake. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sits himself in the dining room with only Odin as his company, a short greeting exchanged over Odin's newspaper and reading glasses, and they drift in one by one, rubbing at their eyes in yesterday's clothes, and he simply leans back in his chair and taps his fingers on the table.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark falls into the chair beside him. "There's another few years of back pain down the line."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They chat amongst themselves, and dare to try to rope Loki into their inane chit chat about uncomfortable sleeping and his mother's chosen décor. He spares them nods and, "Hm"s that get them glancing cautiously at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin says nothing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor graces them with his presence and earns himself a chorus of "Thor" that Loki doesn't participate him. His chest brushes hard against Loki's arm when he sits beside him, the heat dissipating throughout Loki's body fast. "Sorry," he murmurs with a hand on Loki's shoulder.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki and his mother meet eyes as she sets the plate topped with crepes down in the center of the table along with a pitcher of orange juice before sitting down next to Odin. "And now you can all eat."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The table devolves into an organized kind of chaos as plates of food are passed around, and Loki accepts dish after dish from Thor with a silent thanks that's nothing more than a slight nod of his chin. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Ms. Laufeyson, please marry me," Clint says around a mouthful of food, and Odin is oh so amused. Of course.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm afraid that is impossible, Clint, since she is already taken by another man who would have no trouble fighting and winning her honor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki stares at nothing in particular, definitely not Natasha across him though she isn't hesitant to do so to him. Of the all the people, it should have been her to take him aside and tell him that Victor von Doom is supposedly an abusive, psychopath. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It should have been her.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony lazily points a finger at his mother, and Loki is tempted to break it and tell him to never do that to his mother again, but he doesn't trust himself to only break Stark's finger. "Ms. Laufeyson, you should consider adopting me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tony…" Steve says. "Don't start."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, Steve. Listen to me, Ms. Laufeyson. I'm a very smart student, and I have good potential value to your family. I provide comic relief."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Comic relief." Loki sets his fork down and takes a drink. Is that what Stark had in mind last night, hiding behind his dinner menu in wait for Victor to snap out and beat little Loki to a pulp? span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Tough crowd," Stark murmurs. Something that resembles guilt flashes across Tony's features. "I'm just saying you should consider."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin and Loki's eyes meet, and though there's a silent warning there that he simply stares back with defiance. He listens to no man, particularly this one. "Farbauti, these crepes are excellent," Odin says. "One thing I can say about the French is their love for food. I quite love French cuisine myself. What about you all?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Silence falls across the table.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's excellent," Loki says. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh, I guess it's okay," Steve says, the only one brave enough. What a valiant boy.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His mother and he make eye contact, and he sees the anger just boiling above the surface. She sees them like he does now.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm afraid I must depart for work," Odin says, standing up from the table. "Farbauti, wonderful breakfast as usual, and it was nice meeting you all. I shall see you at another time."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Bye," they all say, but Loki. He only watches his back recede.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"When he hears the front door close, silence resettles, and his mother stands from the table. "Loki, do you want to join me in the kitchen?" his mother asks, smiling, but the anger's there as clear as day. "Yes, come on."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He follows his mother into the kitchen wordlessly, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter as he waits for her to speak. If he had laser vision, there would be a gigantic hole in the ground by the point she comes over the stands opposite him against the refrigerator.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She takes his head and tilts it up until they are staring into each other's eyes. There's a bright red anger in her eyes clear in the blue of her irises, and it's frightening. He knows that she probably sees something similar in his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Your date didn't go well, did it?" she asks in Swedish. "I don't recall them being invited."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They weren't," he replies. "They do what they want like I do, and those things are not compatible." He yanks his face out of her grip, still keeping eye contact. "These people claim to look out for my best interests, but they only care about themselves."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor, what happened with him?" she asks, and Loki doesn't answer, turning to look elsewhere. "Loki, you will answer me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Or what?" he shouts, and for a moment he sees the fear in his mother's eyes, that same fear she once looked down at him with when emheem was in a mood to hit things. "Sorry," he replies. "Nothing happened with Victor."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She crosses her arms. "I was a teenager once, Loki, and I don't believe that one bit. Tell me this, were you… safe?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He laughs because else can he do? She's asking what Thor did yesterday in a way. Everything he does with Victor somehow involves "safety" on Loki's part.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki smirks and moves away from his mother. "I was." He takes the pitcher of orange juice his mother hands him with a hard look and retakes his seat between Thor and Tony.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Every bite they take is a bite closer to them leaving his house and leaving him alone.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""So, Halloween's Wednesday," Clint says, mouth full of food. "That's going to be great."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They grumble their agreements, but Loki finishes the remnants on his plate in silence.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you still coming or…?" Clint trails off, swallowing. "Do you have plans with Victor or something?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark has the gall to be indignant and say, "Barton, what the hell? Of course he is." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor didn't know that Loki left, and if he would have asked Loki to stay, Loki can't give an answer he's sure of. He was prepared, pre-prepared for Loki coming to his condo, expectant of something happening. That's not presumptuous as much as realistic.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki swallows the last of his orange juice and stands. "Probably not," he answers.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sits at his desk with his knees tucked under his chin and reads Thoreau under his desk light, his shades closed and casting only a little green-tinted light over his room. He hears the knock, a firm tap of knuckles on his door, and remains silent, turning the page and continuing to read.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The door opens and closes behind his back.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You went back to Victor's, didn't you?" Natasha says, her steps feather light.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He turns the page. "I didn't understand why people who claimed to be my friends would attempt to make a fool out of me to prove a point that they could've told me beforehand."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You wouldn't have believed any of us."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And I don't now, but it's the principle of trying that I would've appreciated. You did all of that on the principle of trying to show instead of tell, and we see how well that worked out. I'm not covered in bruises and bandaged."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If you'd stayed, Victor would've—"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If I'd stayed, my night would have been a complete bust. If you ignore the brief interruption, it was actually enjoyable. I learned… things." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How odd Victor is compared to what little experience Loki has, treating sex like an experiment where he can wipe his hands of any residue and move on. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha lets out a quick breath. "Susan Storm thought the same thing as you, Loki. She thought that Victor was someone interesting, someone she could learn new things from. They were together the entirety of freshman year, the beginning of sophomore year, and Victor's mask, the one you know, began to peel. He—Susan left that relationship a different person."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Susan Storm, the perpetually disapproving sister of Johnny and girlfriend of Reed, changed by Victor in a supposedly worse way.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, I'm not Susan Storm," Loki says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Susan isn't some weak little girl, Loki. She's been through things like all of us, and I'm telling you that Victor isn't good for anyone. Whatever you two did, don't let it fool you into believing he can be your prince charming." Her hand touches Loki's shoulder. "He can't substitute for Thor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He spins around to Loki up at her and smiles. Of course she has it all figured out. "No ever could."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Whether I told you last night or a week before, I think we'd be in the same place," she says, and she looks him over with what he assumes is her version of pity and leaves.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They all leave, clambering over the threshold and saying their farewells loud enough for it to drift up to Loki, and Loki isn't sad to see them go. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He turns his volume to maximum and listens to Sigur Rós' discography from start to beginning.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the middle of em()em, the door opens in his periphery and Thor makes himself a nuisance as usual./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The bed dips beside Loki under Thor's weight. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He turns down the volume.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I've been thinking about how to get you to forgive me, and all of my ideas, I realize, will just end with you throwing it all back in my face. Not that I blame you. I made a mistake, one that kept me up last night and will probably keep me up for many nights to come."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor needs his precious sleep.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The thought of Victor hurting you, it wasn't the only reason I went with them," he says. "I was angry, frightened that anyone would lay a finger on you, yes, but Victor was harmless enough until they told me his true nature. Seeing him hug you, kiss you even if it wasn't on the mouth, I grew to hate him. I hated it, hated how some boy you just met had more of your attention and affection than I did. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We've known each other for over a year now, but we haven't quite known each other until we moved here. Now, I have you a wall away, and we share two classes and sit side by side at lunch. Victor von Doom has two classes with you and walks you to your last class and asks you on a date and you wear a tuxedo for him." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki licks his dry lips, and Thor lays a hand on his side.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I was… afraid that last night, he'd touched you because I'd be even more at a disadvantage."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Does Thor not understand that their relationships are different, that Victor kissing him wouldn't be any gain over Thor because step-brothers—normal step-brothers—don't kiss? He and Victor having sex would be even more irrelevant.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It is irrelevant.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Just tell me that he didn't, Loki. Tell me you two just talked."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki rolls onto his back and looks at Thor. "I told you, nothing happened."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor inhales and pats Loki's side. "Good."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the solitude of his room, he puts a hand to his crotch and thinks back to Victor's. He remembers calluses, calluses he knows weren't there, and gentleness, and he gets a hard-on.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Odin returns, his voice booming from Thor's room in a way that makes the actual words unintelligible, and it's not long before he knocks on Loki's door, firm and with enough force to make Loki dread getting up to open it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Odin," he says, loud enough for him to hear.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""How did your book date yesterday go?" he asks, skipping the greetings. "I did not get the chance to ask you this morning." Odin's on a roll for being oblivious, and Loki knows where Thor definitely got it from. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It was… satisfactory," he replies, and it's a lie, a gigantic lie, but Odin probably won't notice. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Your friends… their presence was awfully shocking."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I feel the same way. Thor extended an invitation without my knowledge."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, well, I did not know that the two of you shared so many friends in common. It seems that my advice was not needed after all." Odin glances around Loki's room. "I will see you at dinner."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"After his shower, he descends the stairs to the little used basement, flicking on the light switch as he goes, and seeks out the cabinet of movies his mother salvaged from their old home. As he once did when his mother worked long nights and left him with dinner and breakfast in the oven, he settles on the couch for the night and watches emThe Girl with the Dragon Tattooem./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's in the second hour of the movie when the doorbell rings. It's 11:00.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He opens the door, prepared to slam it on one of emthemem or give a tight smile to one of Thor's friends and direct them upstairs, but nearly gapes./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr stands on his doorstep, clad in a leather jacket and a purple turtleneck that should, really should look utterly amusing, but clings to his well-sculpted chest like a second cotton skin, He smiles small, eyes shining in the porch light. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"This quite feels like a dream.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You left your laptop," Professor Lehnsherr says while he holds out Loki's laptop. "Charles was going to drop it by, but he had papers to grade. He gave me the address actually."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He takes it. "Thank you. I don't know how it skipped my mind."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Date jitters. Everyone gets them, except, well, me, but I suppose that makes me the odd one." He sets his hands on his hips, the fabric of his shirt tightening around his middle and outlining… abs. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd that go?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Fine. We ate. We talked. What more could I ask for."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr's eyebrows rise. "You're a 16 year old boy, and I've seen the way you and von Doom look at each other."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His skin warms, and he prays to the Gods that he is not blushing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, I'll see you tomorrow." He steps down a stair. "Nice pajamas."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They're green, a thermal shirt and silk pants that if Loki were to get a hard-on, there'd be no hiding it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He watches Professor Lehnsherr's ass in his dark, tight jeans, and Professor Lehnsherr looks back and grins, full of teeth. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki shouts at his brain to dream of that, the jeans, the turtleneck, the smile, but that doesn't happen. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, wake up." Loki's eyes open, and he inhales in shock at being abruptly awakened. Thor's hair is hanging loosely around his face, inches above his own, and in the blue light of the clock, he's gorgeous. What's new? "Are you going to get up?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His hands find Thor's on either side of his head, and they slowly trace upward until they land on his bare shoulders. He uses the leverage to pull himself up, and it's only inches away from Thor's lips does he realize what he could do. He drops his hands from his shoulders and onto the bed instead. "Uh, yes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Theyspan/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" approach him, Steve first with their first class being the same, but Loki's faster than emthey/em are, can slip in between people and make himself disappear when they can't. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr's eyes flick up from his mug as he sits, and he says, "As always, good to see you, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki holds onto that moment while Bruce mutters under his breath about not wanting to get involved but having no choice as if he was bodily dragged, and Loki's not stupid nor blind and has seen the look in Bruce's eyes, felt the strength in his body to believe that. He faces forward when he can and otherwise gives emthemem scathing looks that cause them to freeze or wither./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"If Victor were in his lunch, he would sit beside him and drape himself all over him to turn their unending guilt and regret into unrighteous fury. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sits in his usual seat without any warm looks at any of them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""So, I asked Victor about last night," Tony says. "He thanked me, said I'd done Loki a favor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki hums. "He's right."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The hell he is. We were trying to help you, and we would've if you hadn't gone all Mission Impossible on us and disappeared like that. I know von Doom, and he's good at playing the charming role, but the guy's crazy. Be in the wrong place at the wrong time when he's in a bad mood and you're sporting a black eye. Okay, okay, we went about it kind of wrong, but we had good intentions."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Mm, I've already heard this, Stark, and I frankly don't care."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They give him exasperated looks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sits in Tony's seat in Psychology across from Victor as Victor lounges in his chair, expression stony. His heart or rather his cock gives a jolt, and Loki clasps his hands on the table and licks his lips. "I enjoyed Saturday night," he says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor looks him over. "Then you'll enjoy Wednesday. We'll have dinner at my place to prevent any unneeded interruptions."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki happens to glance away in time to see Thor watching with narrowed eyes. The rest of emthemem do the same, but Thor and his misunderstanding of what his side of the step-brother "relationship" is different. He's the straight, overly-friendly brother, and Loki is the gay, somewhat attracted one./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They're not together.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Susan Storm stares him down from her place a few rows back in Creative Writing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki," Charles says when he passes him, stopping. "I hope Professor Lehnsherr delivered your laptop."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He nods. "Yes, he did."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles puts a hand on his shoulder, taking a sip from his mug. "My apologies for Saturday," he says. "I was out of line, and I do hope that I'll see you in my café soon again."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor silently walks him to Earth Science, and at a glimpse of blond hair over Victor's shoulder, Loki presses a kiss to Victor's still mouth. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor futilely tries to get a hand on Loki's back to push him farther into the classroom.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Your projects are due November 9," Mrs. Munroe says. "You will all present in front of the class with your partner, and will be graded on both the project itself, presentation quality judged by your classmates, and overall creativity."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""This should be an easy A," Thor says, leaning on his arm as he does his warm-up. "So, are you and Victor von Doom official?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Maybe."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor looks utterly frustrated at the affirmative possibility.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"As Thor's frustration leads him to flock to Loki's side, Loki grows gracious enough to grant Thor an eye-roll anytime he attempts to talk to him, putting his earphones in a few times when Thor doesn't notice and keeps talking, and the others earn simple sentence replies when their words are worthy enough. Stark grows dejected as Loki continues to not laugh at his "comic relief," and Loki smiles. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Wednesday morning, Loki's not woken up by the standard pull away of covers. Instead, there's someone gently carding through his hair. He almost makes the mistake of thinking it is his mother except the hand brushes over that one sensitive spot, and his entire body comes alive from sleep including emthatem./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What are you doing?" he groggily asks, trying to calm his rapid pulse. He doesn't want Thor to touch him or be near him unless he has to, and he definitely does not want him to have this effect. He could have just done the standard blanket rip off and gotten out of his room.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You've got a date tonight," he says in a low voice, completely bypassing Loki's question. Great, he's talking about something else. "I've been trying to convince myself to not do something stupid."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And you've never been successful at that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor turns sharp eyes on Loki, and his hands still in Loki's hair. "Is that what it is, because he's intelligent?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Stark, Reed Richards, Bruce, Hank Pym, and Amadeus Cho are also intelligent, and I'm not at all interested in any of them, so no, that's not what it is."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not stupid, Loki. You should see my grades. I've never gotten a B."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good for you," he replies. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's lips touch his neck, soft and moist, and not at all fraternal. "Come with me tonight. I could take you out to dinner, and no one would have any reason to follow us."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki chuckles. "I didn't know you were into jokes, Thor. Tony Stark's been rubbing off on you, and I'm sure your little girlfriend wouldn't be happy about that."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, I don't have a girlfriend."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Jane Foster isn't Thor's girlfriend. Alright, then she's his fling.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor shifts, and something hot and large and emhardem touches Loki's ass./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki freezes. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor slides his hard-on against Loki's ass again and lets out a warm breath on Loki's neck. "Oh my god."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A loud buzz sends them apart, and Loki lunges for his alarm clock and slaps his palm to turn it off.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki looks back up, and Thor's gone and the shower's running down the hall.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor rubbed his cock on him on purpose, and if that's not the opposite of what being step-brothers is, then what even is being step-brothers? Thor's straight, straight enough to swoon over his Jane Foster and screw her though not call her his girlfriend, and rubbing his cock on Loki's ass wasn't very straight.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki has no plans on being Thor's object of experimentation. He and Skurge may have had an agreement of sorts that Skurge wasn't gay but curious, but Thor is Loki's step-brother and far, far better looking than Skurge. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's also Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In French, Natasha sets a hand on his desk and blocks Wagner at the board so that Loki can't write down his warm-up. "I know you're mad, but Clint worked really hard on your costume, and it looks nice. If you were ever his friend, before all of this, you'd at least wear it. Clint would hate to see it go to waste."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki also hates to see his trust go to waste, but they ensured that happened.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Outside of Earth Science, Victor tells him that he'll pick him up at 6:00 and to wear whatever he wants. He kisses Loki this time, grabbing him under the chin, and Loki's left breathless as if Victor sucked the air from his lungs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's already seated, but Loki licks his wet lips, and Thor shakes his head.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's finishing what homework he has when Thor opens his door without knocking, bearing a garment bag. "I told you that I'm not coming," Loki says, but Thor hangs the bag on the hook behind Loki's door anyway.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're unpredictable," Thor says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Call me when you decide to come," Thor tells him before he leaves, and Loki sits on his hands and clenches his jaw. His costume melds to his body like green skin, curved over his large arms and impressed into the spaces between all eight of his abs. He sticks his eye mask on and smiles at Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes a moment after he's gone to stare at his ceiling and gather his blood from his cock and back to the rest of his body. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the time he has to kill, he unzips the garment bag out of curiosity, nothing more and nothing less.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The costume looks like a military uniform from the future, black, silver, and purple, and Loki will admit that he is impressed with it. He can imagine how he would look in it if he were to wear it, completely powerful and commanding respect.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"At the bottom of the garment bag, there are boots with Kryptonian symbols on the bottom. When Clint is creative, it appears he does not hold himself back. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"If only he hadn't betrayed Loki like the rest of them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor opens doors for him and stays close but doesn't touch him. His presence isn't cold—definitely not hot—or foreboding, and he's not any more threatening than he wasn't Saturday. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Many of the city lights are orange outside Victor's condo, and Loki lingers at the windows to watch as Victor waits.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor can cook well. Loki's not surprised about that, and knows Victor's well aware of his talent as he compliments him afterward. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You'll find that I'm a master of all trades," Victor says, sitting beside Loki on the sofa. "At least anything you can think of."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki lets his wine swish around his tongue before swallowing. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor doesn't lack any confidence. He tells Loki how he plans to change the world, his voice full of sureness that Loki's heard many times from his own self, and Loki finishes his glass of wine and replies when needed.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He sets down his empty glass and kisses Victor mid-sentence.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How many times has he wanted to do that to Thor?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor pushes him onto his back and moves between his legs, his hands sliding up Loki's chest to the bend between his shoulder and neck. His eyes are dark and shadowed like they were Saturday night, and Loki shuts his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The doorbell rings. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor unzips his pants, and his hands skim over Loki's thighs as he pushes his pants down. He exhales low as his hard-on, in his underwear, presses Loki's, and Loki lets out a sigh because it's big enough—for him to pretend its Thor's. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A hard knock on the door makes Loki open his eyes, and Victor stops.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""This shouldn't be long," Victor says, zipping his pants, and Loki nods and sits up.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The door opens, and a deep voice, loudly says, "Von Doom, you look human for a change."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Hard footsteps echo around the corner with Victor's own.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A man—boy with the squarest jaw that Loki has seen and hair that looks almost purple looks at him with bright blue eyes and a toothless smile, and gods, he's huge in the way that Thor is but much, much larger. "I'm almost sorry for interrupting, von Doom. Almost."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki stands, and the boy comes to him, towering over him by nearly a foot. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thanos Titan," he says, and he takes Loki's hand and squeezes it rather than shakes it, "and who might you be?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki Laufeyson," he says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You look unusual. I can't imagine the dark, dark thoughts von Doom must be having over there with his blue balls." He releases Loki's hand and sits. "You've kept up your streak of never going to Osborn's Halloween party, Victor. I'm impressed. It's complete shit."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor sticks his hands into his pockets and stands in front of Thanos. "Yet you go."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Because my students like to mingle with you SHIELD kids, and I have to keep them in line."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thanos' heavy hand trails up the back of Loki's thigh, and just before it gets to his ass, Loki catches Thanos by the wrist or three-fourths of it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You can look without touching."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thanos' hand falls to the couch. "Not many people've ever stopped me. I like you, Loki." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you can go wait in my bedroom," Victor says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, I think he should stay right out here. He's interesting enough for you, so I want to hear all about Loki Laufeyson."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you know where my bedroom is."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki won't be Victor's loyal companion either.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It was nice meeting you Thanos," he says, and he leaves.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Victor doesn't follow.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor answers on the second ring. "Loki, I was almost worried I was wrong," he says over voices and pop music. "Where are you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""On a sidewalk on the Upper West Side about to catch a cab to wherever you are."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're at Harry Osborn's house. We don't live too far from him actually." Thor gives him the directions, unabashedly elated that Loki's decided to come, and Loki decides against hailing the cab.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He walks a few blocks until he chances upon a street vendor selling masks and buys one of a plague doctor. Then he hails the cab to roughly the location Thor told him which surprisingly isn't far at all from Harry's actual house. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Harry Osborn's house isn't so much as house as a walled mansion, adorned with fake webbing and orange tinsel for the holiday. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki walks through the gate and encounters groups along the path in some of the nicest costumes Loki's seen outside of a film.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Ispanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"nside, there are a generous amount of people there either wearing heels or naturally tall, so Loki doesn't stick so much like a tree among grass though he gets many second glances. In his black jeans and sweater, he contrasts boldly with girls are dressed in scandalizing versions of recognizable characters—there's a Cruella de Vil wearing just underwear and a fur coat./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Luke passes him in a Hawk man costume, mallet nearly hitting Loki as he swings it at his side. He cocks his chin in apology under his mask, and Loki glances around at the hordes of people and remembers that Thor is somewhere in here.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He touches Luke's bare arm, and Luke rounds on him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""What can I do for you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Have you seen Thor?" Loki shouts over the music, and Luke shouts, "Oh," in recognition.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Loki, that's some creepy shit you've got on, and I just did. He was upstairs dancing like a fool. After you called him, he lit up, and when I mean lit up, I mean lit up like the Christmas tree down in Rockefeller Center." Luke pats his arm. "Go find him and talk to him. For me and Bob."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He assumes it's a reference he doesn't get but nods and thanks Luke. He climbs the stairs littered with people in zombie costumes and sexy bumble bees and shortly finds himself in the midst of writhing bodies, jumping up and down roughly to the beat.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki pulls up his mask for a better view of the room. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Hey, Loki!" Harry wears robes with a Superman symbol on a t-shirt beneath them. Jor-El,span span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"enemy of who Loki would be, Zod. "Dude, where the fuck is your costume? I expected you to roll up looking like fucking Saddam Hussein."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""I wasn't going to come," he says, and Harry flips him off. "Who are some of these people? I don't recognize them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""HYDRA, SHIELD's sister school. They're all cool. You should meet some of them. Might find yourself some patients, Mr. Plague Doctor." Harry nudges him with his elbow. "But put your mask back on before I get pissed about you not technically wearing a costume. I'm expecting a lot next year, Laufeyson."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He doesn't put the mask back on since Harry dances away.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki moves around the perimeter of the room where people simply rock back and forth on their feet, talking to someone rather than screaming along to the music like the rest of them. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Lokinator!" Johnny shouts as he comes up with two girls on each arm. He's an astronaut with a few parts of his suit missing, particularly the chest section. "Looking all villainous and shit, right, ladies? But I'm like 70% sure he's gay so off limits, okay?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, Johnny!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Have you seen Thor?" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yeah, who the hell hasn't seen Thor? Is he on roids 'cause there's no way he looks like that naturally."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's natural," Loki replies. "Where exactly?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Johnny lifts a suited arm and points. "In the middle. Hey, I heard you and von Doom were together, and I've gotta warn you-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We're not together, I assure you," he says, and he continues onward.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Johnny Storm was going to tell him what his supposed friends could've in the first conversation they had in weeks. How great.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki considers it, slipping through the grinding and humping bodies to the center to find Thor once and for all, but the thought of complete and utter strangers and barely familiars rubbing against him and grabbing him makes his stomach turn in the worst of ways. He doesn't do well in crowds when they're not all still and watching him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's truly his luck that Jane Foster almost runs into him as she exits the balcony, dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo though in a modest skirt and sweater because Jane Foster is just so proper and pure.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, I didn't think you'd be caught dead here," she says. "And no costume. I thought you'd either get the best one or think you're too above it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I had better plans with better people," Loki says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Jane puts her hands on her hips and makes an unattractive expression. "How can't you see why he did what he did. If you just let him explain-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""And so I've been told baby. Now, when you give that salutatorian speech at graduation, put a shout out for me in there. I'd prefer if it were some reference to how fucking hilarious I am instead of psychotic. 'Deadpool'"-Wade puts on a mask, and Loki cocks an eyebrow-"is the psychotic one, but that's in Marvel-616. Hey, don't think too hard. You guys won't get it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Jane and he share a perplexed look, perhaps the only thing they will ever share. "Goodbye, you both."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""I would've been the best plague doctor. Stabbing people with rusty needles, throwing mysterious plants on them and getting my ass outta there. I was born to do it." He claps him on Loki's back and shakes his head in disappointment. "Some of these HYDRA kids will have no problem with turning your frown upside down, Chef. Pull out some Swedish on even the straightest of these guys, and they'll be at half-mast for you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"The chances are slim of him and Thor having any sort of contact here.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki pulls his mask back down and makes for the exit.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"On a lower flight where there are less people and the music isn't so loud, Loki procures a bottle of beer with a German label and takes a seat beside the thunderbolt emblazoned Robert, moving Robert's golden cape aside.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Robert shoves lightly at his shoulder. "Loki, I'm glad Thor was right. He does know you as much as he always says he wishes he did. If only, the other stuff he wishes were reality too." He smiles and wags his eyebrows. "Victor von Doom was a bust then. Thor's glad about that I know."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki rubs his tongue along the rim of the bottle before he takes a drink. It's rich, extremely rich. "I didn't think you or Luke associated with Harry Osborn."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Norman Osborn started giving me a scholarship to SHIELD back in middle school, so Harry Osborn thinks we should be close like brothers. He's got beer, so Luke always comes."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Steve as Superman sans the dark hair passes, cape billowing behind him, and Sharon walks beside him, her hand on his shoulder as she smiles and speaks to him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He has no friends. Sigyn, she said that she would always be his friend, but she's in Stockholm. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Thor asked me to come to the restaurant with him. He was afraid he might murder Victor von Doom if he saw him as much as feed you some of the food off his plate. Luke and me, we never heard the end of his hate for him. Strange to see someone as nice as Thor have so much hate for someone who barely did anything to him. Makes you think, doesn't it?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki laughs into his bottle. "You should just come out and say it. You're not being subtle."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Blame the great beer," he says. "I can't. Thor trusts me a hell of a lot, and I'm not going to throw it away even if it makes life a little easier for me and Luke. You two will realize it eventually."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki looks at Robert, and Robert cocks an eyebrow. "I think you underestimate Thor's obliviousness."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""And you're not at all completely unaware of what's in front of you, right?" Robert sets down his empty beer, and on his elbows, gives Loki an amused look. "I'm not telling you anything in particular. I'm telling you that things you probably doubt aren't things you should doubt."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"That doesn't help at all.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Thor should worry more about Jane Foster. They may be casual, but my dislike for her isn't."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""'Casual?' Loki, Jane and Thor aren't together at all. Jane has a girlfriend, and Thor, he—I'll tell you that Thor wouldn't want Jane if she were into men. They're strictly platonic. And, discount your chances because everyone has a small chance of going home with Thor tonight. emEveryoneem. I've done enough, and I need a beer, so if you're not here when I get back, I'll see you in psych."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Robert stands, and staring at Robert's golden cape flowing behind him, Loki gapes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor—Thor is bisexual?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor is bisexual.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor is bisexual!span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki takes a huge swig of his beer and nearly chokes as he laughs. Well, that explains a lot, doesn't it?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"The hard-on against Loki's ass this morning, Thor's jealousy of Victor and him being intimate, they're all because Loki is an attractive boy that Thor likes. It must shame him, knowing that he desires his step-brother, brings a flush to his golden skin when his cock twitches when he's watching Loki over his morning tea.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Only if he knew that Loki jerked off to him in the shower.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Heard you're here somewhere. On second floor. Hot or cold?span/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';" – Stark./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Hotspan/emspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';", he replies, feeling generous, and he goes down to foyer where HYDRA students stand in groups against the walls, eyeing him as he looks over them. He has another laugh about that new information and departs for home./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor's knocking on his door not too long after he strips down to his boxer briefs and a thermal shirt, and Loki takes a moment to compose himself, hand on the doorknob, as Thor continues to knock in his erratic, heavy-handed fashion.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He opens the door with a tight-lipped smile, teeth biting the back of his lips. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Everyone but me seems to have seen you at the party," Thor says, green mask on his eyes. "I feel cheated."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""My costume of a mask wasn't a match for yours." Loki slowly looks Thor over and settles his hand on his hip, his fingers dipping below his waistband. "There were a lot of nice costumes there, Luke's, Robert's, Johnny's. They're in excellent shape."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""If they are then I'm in fantastic shape."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""You are," he says, and Thor's eyebrows lower. He turns away from Thor briefly before turning back around. "It's always so… interesting to see you at the gym. I'm bent in half, legs apart, and you're lifting 450 pounds. It's motivating."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Bottom lip bitten, he sways back to Thor, heel to toe steps in a straight line. "I imagine how it must frustrate you and motivate you at the same time, being able to just watch."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor grips the doorframe, and at his crotch, his hard-on trails thick down his left thigh.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"It's as big as it felt, and to really feel it, inside… Loki clenches.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki opens his mouth, and Thor's tongue is inside it, licking him from the inside. Loki catches himself and seals their lips tighter, the taste of chocolate and sugar and beer on Thor's. He's forced to his toes as Thor's hands in his hair grip to close the height difference, and he moans as Thor squeezes his ass, firm and callused and strong.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He pulls back and tells Thor, "Fuck me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor pauses above him, and even with his eyes hidden, Loki knows he's staring at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"What is there to consider? Thor wants this.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""We're brothers."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""What?" Loki lowers onto his heels. "Step-brothers you mean."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor's hands drop to his sides. "Our parents won't see any difference."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Who cares what they see? They're selfish people. We can be selfish too."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""No, no, Loki, I can't do this. I've made enough mistakes with you, and I won't make this one."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Who cares if we're step-brothers? Fucking me won't change that, and our parents can get over it." Loki licks his lips. "You want this as much as I do."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""I want this, but I don't want to regret this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki can barely believe this, that Thor is declining his offer to fuck an ass he's wanted to fuck as much as Loki's wanted him to fuck it because their parents happened to be married. Their vows are irrelevant where Thor wants Loki. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';" "I suppose I should be thankful that I won't have any ideas about this ever again," Loki says, and Thor's shoulders slump. He sucks his teeth. "Goodnight, Thor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He shuts the door and locks it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Of all the things that could've come up when they were finally going to fuck, Thor reminding him of that unfortunate marriage his mother entered with Thor's wonderful father is likely the worst possibility. Thor for all of his loyalty to Odin would never do something as despicable as not see a boy he's only known for weeks as a brother. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"His sentimental ways have given Loki the hardest hard-on he's ever had, and he doesn't have the decency to relieve it for Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki settles for three fingers and an iron grip on his cock which he cannot pretend is Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He wakes up to the sounds of footsteps rushing up the stairs and peeks at his alarm clock to find it's 6:10, a somewhat reasonable hour but still not time for Loki to wake up. A door down the hall, Thor's presumably is thrown open, and there's a shout followed by more whispered-shouts.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Robert and Luke wait in the kitchen, and Loki's not at all surprised it was them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""What the fuck happened last night?" Luke whisper-shouts. "All of the pieces fell into place and still nothing!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Luke and Robert have some idea then which means Thor must often talk about how much he wants to fuck Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki begins on his oatmeal. "We're step-brothers, so he doesn't want to upset Daddy or Mommy."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"The marble shakes under Robert's fist. "Shit, I hadn't thought of that," Robert whisper-shouts. "I was too drunk."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Well, Daddy's bastard's going to put me in the hospital with all these turnsspan span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"that lead nowhere, dammit."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor looks to be a complete wreck, light purple circles beneath his eyes and his aura less golden than usual. He mutters a good morning to Loki by habit and occupies space in the kitchen rather than enhances it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki taps his foot and glares at Thor because they would both be in great spirits if Thor had fucked him last night as they both dearly wanted.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""If you'd all try to be less obviously angry with me, I'd appreciate it," Thor says, and he turns to leave.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki pointedly stares at his ass and all of his other, many assets when they encounter each other throughout the day, and Thor awkwardly scratches the back of his neck and takes a deep breath and tries to keep talking to whoever he's talking to and not get a hard-on.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"At lunch, Loki presses his thigh against Thor's and gets ahold of any phallic fruit, vegetable, or otherwise and makes a great show of eating it while Thor cannot help but stop what he's doing and stare at the way Loki "absently" licks the tip or drags his tongue down the shaft. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Clint stares bewildered, eyebrows furrowed, and Bruce holds his book quite close to his face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you'd give a mind-blowing blow job," Stark says, and Steve chides him and Natasha cocks an eyebrow. "We all know it. I'm just clearing the air of any doubters."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He and Peter Parker meet eyes across the cafeteria, and Peter's eyebrows rocket up and his stutter between Loki and something else.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki smiles and bites off half of the corn dog. "If I didn't hate you, I'd offer you a demonstration."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Come on, you don't hate me that much anyway. It's almost been a week, and you replied to my text. It was a lie, yeah, but it was a reply. And even if you do hate me, you know me. You should do it with someone you trust. It's what I always tell Steve."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Stop talking now, Stark," Steve says through clenched teeth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Victor and he exchange a greeting and nothing more. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Natasha leans in during Creative Writing. "You shouldn't push him," she says. "Thor won't react well to it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""And what's a bad reaction, him shoving me against the nearest wall and fucking me against it?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"She shakes her head. "Emotionally. It's obvious he doesn't want anything to happen between you two, and you're playing with his head. Not everyone's like us. Not everyone takes well to that type of thing."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Put getting fucked by hottest boy you've ever seen behind your compassion for Thor, she's saying. It's truly ridiculous considering Loki has little to no compassion for Thor since he took to betraying him due to his jealousy and they've only actually known each other for weeks. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"If Thor ends up crumpling from the guilt of having sex with someone Odin and Loki's mother won't approve of, what will it matter to Loki. As it is, Thor talks to him because of his need for conversation and his desire for Loki, and Loki allows Thor to talk to him because Thor is not at all bad to look at. After they fuck, Loki will have seen all that Thor has to offer, and Thor's desire will be sated.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"They can pretend that the other doesn't exist while their parents seethe.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor and he discuss their project in Earth Science, and Loki wears thin with each time Thor accidentally brushes against him and murmurs a quick apology and shifts farther away. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki lies in bed with Thor a wall over probably jerking off and grows angry as resignation that Natasha may be right though for the wrong reasons, mostly centered around Thor's dedication to sticking to his word and how trying and not succeeding will drive Loki insane, settles in.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He should take his losses and move on. His mother tells him that it's a weakness of his that he's unable to, but she doesn't understand what perseverance is because of how she lives so risk-free. Marrying Odin's the biggest decision she's made since his father died.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He eats salad at lunch and touches Thor when it's unavoidable. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You have to interview your"—Loki clenches his teeth—"brother," Gwen says, tilting her tablet to him to reveal a picture of Thor under the headline 'Student to Look Out For'. The rest of the page is noticeably blank, and it seems that is where Loki comes in. "We all agreed that he was the perfect option."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki numbly nods. This was bound to happen. "When?" he asks, following her into the other room.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Gwen sits down at one of the chairs at the table. "This weekend. It's best to just get it out of the way."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A few female reporters enter, all of them smiling salaciously at Loki, but he knows too well that Gwen has taken the liberty to inform him of his disinterest in their sex in her rage at his sudden admission. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""They're all editing the basic questions for you to ask," Gwen says, pointing to the folder in front of them. "They do this for each one, so they're good at what they do."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They chortle in their small group. If Thor were straight, he'd be interested in them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I have to ask them all?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, all of them," Gwen says, flipping through a folder. "If the answer sucks, we won't use it. He's your step-brother. How hard can that be?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Not hard at all."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The first thing Loki does when he sees Thor is inform him of his victory as the 'Student to Look Out For', and he says it as he bats his lashes and looks at Thor as if he wants to devour him whole.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh," is all Thor replies, shrugging his shoulders, "that's nice."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That's nice? How modest of you." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I suppose. I must admit that I was expecting it after Carol Danvers mentioned it to me this morning."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Saturday, Loki glances over the questions, most of them nauseatingly inane, and waits until his mother and Odin leave for their romantic day together.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He knocks rapidly on Thor's door. An answer comes fairly quickly, and Loki opens the door and calms that urge inside him that's grown with the knowledge that Thor wants him back. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thor, I need to ask you… some questions," he says, licking his upper lip. "Can I do it now?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor looks up at him, eyes wide, and gestures to the bed. "Yes, of course. Sit."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He does as he's told and lies on his stomach, propped up on his elbows. "Okay," he says, setting the folder out in front of him. The front page is a scrawl of loopy handwriting, the questions written in red pen. "I should tell you that I didn't write any of these."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Er, okay. I'm ready when you are."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Is he really?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sighs, summoning all the professionalism he can. The first questions are all incredibly stupid facts that anyone with a brain could answer, so Loki, as gracious as he's been the past week, fills them in as he scans down for a question that's not such a massive waste of his time to ask.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hm, what's your gym regimen?" he asks. "The question that every envious man in the world wants to know."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Five days a week," Thor answers.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""And you only invite me on weekends," he says. "I'm almost offended."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You don't need to go to the gym five times a week to stretch, Loki. You're flexible enough as is."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You don't even know how flexible I am," Loki says. "What's your favorite band?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If you're saying specifically a band, Sigur Rós"—Loki doesn't find that surprising, but it's satisfying—"but if you are referring to a singular musician, Jean Sibelius."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Sibelius?" he replies incredulously. Thor's favorite musician is a classical music composer? "I'm actually surprised."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Most people are impressed."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stares at Thor, examining his face for any of the usual telltale signs of lying, and he finds nothing except an irritating smugness. "And finally we actually get to relevant questions," he says, reading the next question in his head before he does aloud. "What do you like most about SHIELD?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""The learning environment," he replies. "It's… academic."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It is." He smiles despite himself, catching himself before it turns into a full-blown grin. "What is your favorite subject, and what subject are you best at?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm good at what I'm best at which is Astronomy."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What are your plans for the future?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"To relieve Loki of having to know that he should in theory have fucked Thor by now but have him settle for watching Thor walk around in his tight shirts and his fitted jeans and his brilliant grin.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I want to be a doctor."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Doctor?" Loki scoffs. "You and Jane only talk about astronomy, and have you seen your room? Is this your attempt to fulfill your dream of being an actual hero?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In retrospect, it is the only topic he's heard them discuss. They only talk about astronomy, and it's more irritating than not that the only thing they have in common is a central topic in every conversation they hold. Maybe in private they discuss other things, but for being his close friend, they have very little in common in general.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""My mom was a doctor," Thor says.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He knows nothing about Thor's mom except that she was unluckily married to Odin and died. How odd it feels.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's not as if it affects Loki. She's dead, and Thor has gotten along alright without her.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""She was an OBGYN actually. My friends back home, they were delivered by her, and I would've been if it'd been possible."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If you were as big then as you are now, I doubt that she would've wanted to."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hey, I wasn't fat. I could show you pictures. I was only slightly over average, and I was adorable."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Everyone claims that they were adorable when they were a baby, Thor. I was, and that I know for a fact because my aunts all told my mother that they had no clue how I was her child, and they all hate her because she's nowhere as ugly as they are."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor chuckles. "My aunts are all nice women who make great pies. I'm sorry you weren't as lucky. They'd probably give you more pies to try to fatten you up like they do with all of us. If it weren't for my genes, I would be fat, not fat like I was when I was baby because I was not fat, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Keep telling yourself that, Thor, but it sounds like you have some unresolved issues."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I was a baby. Have you seen a skinny baby? They look sick."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Can't there be a balance between skinny and fat?" Loki glances at the next question. "You've got that all mastered now."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's shoulder presses into his as Thor copies his position. "'Where are you going to college?' I'm unsure. I've only now started sending applications. So, don't worry about me leaving you just yet."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, I'll be so worried. 'How much influence have your parents had on you?'"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki knows the answer, knows Odin's overbearing ways like he knows how hard his cock was the other night when Thor got unnecessarily moral.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""My father's had quite the influence on me," he says. "I think I wouldn't be much of the man I am—wish to be if it weren't for him. As a young boy, he was very encouraging when my academics and sports were involved. I'm successful mostly because of the lasting effect it's had on me. With him as a constant presence in my life, I've been pressured to reach my full potential."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That sounds oddly Freudian," he replies, elaborating when Thor gives him a curious look. "I mean, it sounds as if you resent him." Justly. "I'm not saying that you do, but-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I understand. It does. I'd appreciate it if you perhaps…" He nudges Loki with his shoulder.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Toned it down? Don't worry, I've got you covered. My duty as your brother, right?" It sounds bitter even to his own ears, but he ignores it. "You owe no explanation or warning to me."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He jolts down a paraphrased version of Thor's answer without the resentful tone.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, you filled all of these in?" Thor asks, pointing to the stupid questions.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Obviously."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""December 5supthsup. You know my birthday."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why wouldn't I?" He gives Thor the incredulous look he truly deserves, and Thor only stares at the paper in confusion. What could possibly be so confusion about a piece of paper with questions and answers on it?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yours is July 10supthsup. Are you surprised I know that?"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""My mother probably held you at knife point and drilled the basics into your head. I wouldn't put it past her."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor rolls onto his back, and Loki closes the folder.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His shirt rides up, exposing the trail of blond hair leading below his waistband like an arrow down to his cock. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki sits up, his back to Thor. "Actual brothers and sisters fuck all the time, you know. Our ancestors committed incest all the time, and I'm not lying. Lying isn't the only thing my mouth is good at though you know how good I am at that. Our parents wouldn't be any more suspicious than they already are, and if your father's talk not too long ago is any indication, they aren't at all."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He leaves Thor there to ponder that offer.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki's lying in bed in the semi-darkness, awake by insomnia's unpredictable hand, when his door silently opens and closes. He stares at the green of his pillow and waits for his mother to sit down and rest her hand on him and share some information she's been dreading like she did about her new boyfriend.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"A body slides under the covers behind him, a very warm body. "Loki," Thor whispers, and he turns to face him, Thor shirtless and eyes shining in the little moonlight.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor kisses him, and Loki smiles against his lips and deepens the kiss. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He slips his leg over Thor's waist and straddles him, hands on Thor's shoulders.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';" Above Thor, on top of him, this is where he belongs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Are you going to do anything?" Thor asks, bringing his hand up to cradle Loki's face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki lets himself bask in the touch. "Don't," he says, swiping his tongue over Thor's fingers, "rush me." He takes his fingers into his mouth, holding Thor wrist to steady his hand. He keeps eye contact with Thor, watching the blue steadily turn black.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor removes his fingers from Loki's mouth with a moist plop, pulling his face down until their lips meet in a deep kiss. His hand goes down to the hem of Loki's t-shirt and pulls it upward, the two of them breaking apart to get it off of his head. When they meet again, Thor grasps his nipple painfully hard, Loki gasping into his mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He scrapes his teeth along Thor's neck, teasing the skin with his tongue, and when he gets to the juncture between his shoulder and neck, he bites, Thor's back arching up off of the bed and his fingers clenching onto Loki's nipple in a mixture of pain and pleasure.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki is flipped onto his back, and he stares up at Thor, grinning as Thor shakes his head. "Are emyouem going to do anything?" he asks, lifting his head up, and he licks a stripe from Thor's sternum to his chin, tasting the salt of Thor's skin. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"That sets Thor into motion. He pins Loki down by the wrists, grinding their hips together hard, and Loki gasps in shock at how amazing it feels. Jolts of pleasure prickle through his body with each time their hips meet, and it's not long before Loki is digging his fingers into the bedspread and gasping for air that he doesn't need.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Grabbing Thor's hair, he pulls him down into a harsh kiss. "I'm going to cum. Oh god—I'm going to cum."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor smiles at him, his thumb brushing over Loki's bottom lip. "Go ahead then. Cum."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"One last grind of their hips, and Loki's is grabbing at the bed and shouting Thor's name into his shoulder, his underwear becoming a wet sticky mess, and Thor groans above him, a sound that can't help but moan at.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki collapses onto the bed panting. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"That was everything he imagined it would be and more.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""That was… amazing," Thor says, and Loki licks his lips, tasting Thor, and laughs.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"He lies there in Thor's body heat until his underwear starts to stiffen around him and slips from his bed, from underneath Thor's arm, and into the shower.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Washing off the flecks of white from himself, Loki smiles to himself and lets the memories of Thor hovering above him, grinding against him, flow over him from head to toe.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"If Thor weren't his step-brothers, if his mother hadn't found the least suitable man to marry, Loki wouldn't have had sex with the hottest boy to have ever existed, so maybe, he should be thankful that his mother's decision making skills are lacking in the romantic department. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Her "I do" has gotten him thoroughly laid.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"His mother eats her breakfast at Odin's side and sends him her small, tight-lipped smiles each time he holds his tongue rather than tell Odin that whatever ridiculous thing he's said is completely wrong for the following reasons Loki's sure of. She and Odin fall into their roles as husband and wife, father and mother, and Loki rests a hand on Thor's upper thigh beneath the table, squeezing when Thor talks.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Odin and his mother make themselves saints in cleaning up breakfast while Loki feigns disinterest in Thor and drags his knuckles across the hard-on tucked under his waistband.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Do you want to get caught?" Thor asks as he pins Loki's hands above his head, on the back of Loki's door. "Our parents were in the same room. What if one of them had dropped something under the table?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""I would've pulled my hand back," Loki says, and Thor releases his hands with an annoyed look. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor sits on Loki's bed with his hands clasped under his chin, such a thinker. "We shouldn't do that again," he says, and Loki is not one bit surprised. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"His heart may falter a bit, but it's simply the gall Thor has to try to go back to "normal" after that amazing thing they did that slightly shocks Loki. Thor is brave, truly brave for being stupid enough to believe that's possible. He should've thought of that before he climbed into Loki's bed last night.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""You're right," Loki replies. "We shouldn't."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Thor may be brave, but Loki's more deceptive than Thor is brave.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';""Don't you look smug," Stark says where he leans on Rick Jones' locker. "Don't tell me you went back to von Doom's Saturday."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"This casualness is even a new low for Tony Stark who was the mastermind behind last Saturday.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro';"Loki grabs his tablet and slams his locker and looks at Stark.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Holding grudges has always been a part of his being, what's kept him at odds with a great aunt after she called him "gaunt and spindly" after he fell off his bike and scraped off a rather significant part of skin on his arm. It healed; Loki doesn't even have a scar, but he's never forgotten the screeching of her voice as he cried and his mother patched up his wound. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Perhaps grudges do nothing but hurt him, but it's the intention that matters. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Behind his ruby-tinted lenses, Tony's brown eyes soften as he prepares for Loki's verbal lashing. He's had experience beyond Loki in being talked down to, in being the object of blows from someone he yearns for.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony doesn't talk about Howard Stark, but when he's mentioned, Tony shuts down and pushes back.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Victor and I have different desires," Loki says, and Tony slaps a hand to his ACDC t-shirt and gasps./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Praise whatever god, devil, or Nicholas Cage in the sky. I was worried there that you'd gone to the dark side."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki walks away from Tony, and when Steve calls after him and jogs up to him, he doesn't pick up his pace. Natasha says nothing when they walk from French to Organic Chemistry, but her eyes will stray to Loki as if ensuring that he's not simply gritting his teeth and baring it to get them to lessen their smothering.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Professor Lehnsherr greets him, and Loki returns it with a subdued smile and even greets Bruce.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bruce speaks to him about a science journal he read the night before, making motions of a heliocentric model of the planets and a possible star configuration that could lead to another planet with a similar environment to earth being only a few dozen light years away. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The primal beast lurking behind the surface is ever present as he speaks and leads Loki to believe that Bruce's involvement in his friends' scheme was nothing more than as a possible reserve needed if things blew up in their faces. Perhaps Robert and Thor would have been helpful, but there's something that tells Loki that Bruce would have been as helpful as both of them, maybe even more. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Tony's jokes about Bruce being insane make a lot more sense with the wild look in his eyes, and Loki's interest Bruce does nothing but increase.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You should know that I'm sorry," Bruce says as they're changing out of their gym clothes. "I shouldn't have gotten involved at all, but I had this bad feeling that it would turn out bad. I was right as always and wish I could have stopped Tony from doing something so showy. I know that it's his thing, but that was wrong."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Thank you. I accept your apology."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I just—can I admit that I'm happy that you're no longer interested in the mysterious von Doom?" Bruce looks at him curiously, and Loki nods once. "He's—Betty was almost victim to his charm once too, but she knew there was something off about him, I probably sound jealous, and it's, it's because I kind of was."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You and Betty were together?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bruce nods. "Yep, but we agreed that it was kind of stupid. We're kids." He sounds slightly put-off, but Loki doesn't point it out. "We have time for that stuff later. Come on, we'll be late for our next class."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Barton's talking—screaming, hysterically—to Thor loudly about him not seeing emBlade Runnerem when he knocks over Loki's cup of water, and while Loki has excellent reflexes that have helped him dodge punches from hulks back in Stockholm, Thor is faster, faster in nearly everything that he does, and Loki only catches the cup after it's overturned itself all over the table, his lap, and Thor's thigh./span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor, wielding napkins, puts his hands on Loki's crotch, apologizing profusely about the water.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It's soaked through my underwear," Loki says, "Your napkins aren't going to help."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then take them off."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes because that'll help everything."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's hands stop, and the water was cold, but his hands really aren't. "You're getting hard from this," he says in Swedish. "We should go to the bathroom and take care of this."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""If it means your pants are left a mess then too, that's a great idea."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor looks up at him. "It's just water, Loki."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Move your hands some more, and it won't be."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Is everything alright?" Steve asks, and they're all watching curiously. "We don't speak Swedish, so we really have no clue."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor tosses the wet napkins on the table, and Loki shifts in his seat as the wet cotton drags across him. "There was a brief misunderstanding, but everything's fine now."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki's pants are dry by Earth Science which Thor finds out when he touches Loki's crotch under the table, not bothering to look up from his tablet or display any self-awareness. Loki bites his tongue and laughs to himself as Thor murmurs about their project.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor has practice, so he sends Loki on his way home in a cab alone.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki uses the solitude to jerk off. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He understands Thor's reasoning and understands that Odin is a massive arse who will probably disown Thor if he found out they were sneaking into each other's bed down the hall, but he doesn't empathize. His mother would feel much like Odin, and perhaps even worse, given her incomplete knowledge of what happened with Victor that night, but Loki could do without his mother.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He has done well without his father, and if he is honest, his mother and his father were not so dissimilar. Their arguments were often them butting heads because of how unwilling they were to compromise.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor apologizes about lunch at breakfast, and Loki only hums around his spoon.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How he wishes he could hate Thor.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Can I ask what's going on between you and your step-brother?" Natasha asks, catching him off guard in the lunch line. She's never been in the line with him, never. "You two are… off."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Nothing's going on," Loki tells her, putting some salad onto his tray because he needs something to do with his hands. "I won't treat you like you're stupid and deny that I don't want to bend over for him on the nearest flat surface. He happens to be my step-brother, so there's that relatively annoying fact, and as you said, so very emotional."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha follows him to the table, Loki stopping a few feet away to take in the way Thor is talking to Clint, Bruce, and Tony in a carefree manner that brings the blood to Loki's cock. It's the relaxedness of his shoulders and the way his lips curve into a dazzling smile that have the effect of making Loki feel as though this is impossible, being merely step-brothers. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I wish I'd never met him," he says without thought, Thor laughing at something Clint says a few feet away. "If we'd never met, I'd be fine."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Then I would have never met you," Natasha replies, coming up to his side. "Believe it or not, I actually like you."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Hm, sometimes the negatives outweigh the positives." Loki sighs. "I think I should just go somewhere else today. I'm not very hungry for what awaits me at that table."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Natasha opens her mouth to object but sees the look in Loki's eyes and nods. "I'll… tell them."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""There's no need," he says in her direction as he walks toward the trashcan. He dumps the entire thing out and leaves the cafeteria. He ends up passing Erik in the hallway who gives him a strange look.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""What are you doing out here?" he asks, and Loki tells him a lie about not being in the mood to eat with Stark around. With a grin, he invites him to his classroom, and Loki accepts, following him through the halls and into his room. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's strange being in the room alone with him, but he sits down at his usual seat, Erik sitting on his desk. "Can I say that I am more than a little sorry for the catastrophe that occurs anytime you, Charles, and I are together?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki smiles a bit. "Yes, you can, but it's not you that should be apologizing. Professor Xavier can be…"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He overreaches a bit, yeah." Erik laughs. "Have you eaten yet?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He starts to reply with the affirmative but realizes that lying to Erik about that is pointless. "No, I haven't."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, come on. We should go get something. There's a place around the corner that has great gyros."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik insists that he pay for their lunch, so Loki lets him, staring at his feet as he pulls out his debit card. The cashier sends them a knowing look that Loki responds with a glare. They are not together even if it looks slightly incriminating for a man to be with a boy in a school blazer.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"All of the students are in class when they get back to the school, so Erik says that he will walk him to his class and explain what happened to spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"Dr./spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" Strange. Loki's knows that it's going to look just as bad as it did back at the restaurant, but he lets himself be led to the classroom without arguing. /span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""It seems that we have a visitor," spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"Dr./spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" Strange says from his usual spot at the center of the room, eyes closed and legs folded. "Hello, Professor Lehnsherr. You have one of my students."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Our," Erik corrects with a laugh. "We share him."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"Dr.spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" Strange makes a noise in the back of his throat. "Hm, we do. Have you come to explain why he is tardy?"/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Yes, I have, and the explanation is that we went out to get lunch and forgot that a quarter of the period had already passed, so we had bad timing. Tomorrow, I promise you that Loki will be on time."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sends him a look. Tomorrow? This is going to become a thing, is it?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Does he mind?span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Good, good. Take your seat next to Mr. Stark if that is where you desire," spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Myriad Web Pro'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"Dr./spanspan style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;" Strange says, "and goodbye, Professor Lehnsherr. Your assistance is appreciated."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He inclines his head before nudging Loki forward and leaving.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes his seat, feeling many unwanted eyes on him excluding Thor's.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That's it. It's been him," Tony says. "The change in behavior, not insulting me at every chance you get, you're in love."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not in 'love,' Stark." span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Shut up, Stark." Natasha turns her head, still facing away from them. "I didn't think you were saying that you were going to that place when you said that you were eating elsewhere."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I wasn't," he replies. "It… happened."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""People say that about sex too." Tony leans on his elbow. "Now, was it love at first sight?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Shut up, Tony," he replies, rolling his eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's shaking his head when Loki sits down next to him in Earth Science. "Professor Lehnsherr is a teacher, Loki. You won't have any more luck down that route than you did down the last."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I think I had some luck down that route, Thor," he says because Thor was asking for it with that one. "Professor Lehnsherr is a teacher, a great teacher, and I'm a great student. We're… compatible."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's a cradle robber, Loki, and you're naïve if you think he—" Thor stops as Loki glares at him. "What I'm saying is any man who's willing to be with a boy isn't a man you should want to be with."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why are you assuming anyone wants to be with anyone? Can't it be just two people talking to each other, enjoying each other's presence? I'm well-aware that Professor Lehnsherr has no interest in me as anything more than a friend at best, alright?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor huffs but is smart enough to not keep talking. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles and Miss Darkholme join Loki and Erik for lunch, Miss Darkholme looking at Erik like he's lost his mind and Charles shaking his head. "This is becoming more than a little illegal," Charles says as they start toward the restaurant. "Erik, do I have to set up an overseas account for you two to live on while you escape to Europe where the age of consent is under 16?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Sorry, Erik, but I have to agree with Charles. This is becoming a lot like some modern, less-sick version of emLolitaem."/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The cashier gives them another knowing look, and Miss Darkholme returns the glare with Loki this time, shoving her card into her hand with a murmur about people "minding their business."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki makes it to class on time, but it doesn't make Tony's stupid remarks about he and Erik being a couple any less annoying. He sits down at the table, ignoring the twin glares he gets from Jane and Thor, and shrugs when Natasha raises her eyebrows at him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Professor Lehnsherr has great taste in gyros," he says though Thor doesn't want to hear that at all in Earth Science.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're the smartest person that I know yet you're pretending that you and Professor Erik Lehnsherr going to lunch together is only about his 'great taste in gyros.' Loki, I may not be as smart as you, but I know that you're trying to get back at me for making the right decision. You're making your own bad decisions in the process."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki scoffs. "Since when did you become the expert on me?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I don't know, Loki." Thor's gaze is smug. "Three weeks ago or maybe Saturday night?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor tells him outside of class that he has practice. He's a coward using sports to avoid being alone in the house with Loki because they both know that without Odin's beady eye watching, he cannot stop himself.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Are you and Lehnsherr banging?" Tony asks, and Steve jabs Tony with his knobby elbow.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Professor Lehnsherr is a teacher, Tony! He wouldn't do that." At least Steve is not so naïve to believe Loki wouldn't if the planets Jane Foster's always talking about were properly aligned.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You've seen the news, Steve. Teachers don't have no problems getting with students these days. Probably always have, but the trends are going toward less and less clothes which I'm not complaining about. No way. And I'm sure the teachers aren't either."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not 'banging' Professor Lehnsherr, Stark."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Stark tries to pat his shoulder, but Loki flinches away. "Too bad. Always wondered if he was always pissed because he was overcompensating for another area, if you know what I mean."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Not many men with small cocks would wear the pants that Erik Lehnsherr does.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Are you going to tell us what happened between you and Thor?" Charles asks just as Loki is taking his first bite of food, and Loki takes a breath through his nose.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He planned on having a nice lunch today.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Loki, don't answer that," Erik says. "Charles, it's not of any of our business"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles shrugs. "As a teacher of you both and a possessor of a doctorate of psychology, I believe it's my responsibility to ensure that my students' lives are fine inside and outside of school. If you'd like to share, I'm here to listen."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki tenses. "No, I would not."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles hides behind his mug. "Perhaps a romantic gesture-"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Oh god, Charles, you're implying that-" Miss Darkholme groans. "Please, close your mouth now."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I thought that it was obvious that the two of them were attracted to each other."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki stands, gathering his food. "I think that I will join my friends for lunch after all."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Erik stands as well. "I will walk you back."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""No, please, it's fine." Loki leaves as fast as he can, walking at a pace faster than normal until he's back inside the school. Just as he enters, the end of period bell rings, and he lets himself be engulfed in the crowd of students as they scramble to their classes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Uh oh, I know that look," Tony says as Loki sits down. "Professor Lehnsherr and Loki are over."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Shut up," Loki says. "I beg of you to shut your mouth."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Whoa, whoa, just saying that you," he says, shouting at the end, "are back on the market. Who wants to date Loki?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki sinks farther into his seat when Tony stands up.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Who thinks that they could give Loki the love that he needs and aren't named Victor von Doom or Reed Richards or Wade Wilson?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You're assuming that Loki wants to date anyone," Steve says. "Some people prefer to be single."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Well, let me rephrase that then. Who thinks that they could fu-?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He pulls Tony back down. "Shut your mouth,"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Charles sends him apologetic looks throughout Creative Writing, and Loki pointedly ignores them, wanting him to squirm with guilt.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In Earth Science, Mrs. Munroe stands at the front of the classroom and announces their projects are due, and Loki and Thor both look at each other with small grins.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki raises his hand and says, "I think we'll go first."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's expecting nothing special at all, stood there in front of a class of people leaning back in their chairs and on their elbows with that disinterest all his peers share, but Thor leans in to his ear and says, "I'm ready when you are," and all the disinterested faces are cast aside. Beside Thor, he informs them of Central Park's many microclimates and wildlife while Thor recounts anecdotes about their "adventures" there after he's done. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He should be annoyed, incredibly annoyed, by Thor's constant grinning and prodding of him in front of them all, but he simply quietly sighs and gets on with it.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"They sit as they all applaud, and Loki finds himself leaning against Thor's arm to feel his heat.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That was a highly informative presentation, Loki and Thor. I'm sure your classmates are just as entertained as I am. Now, Johnny and Billy."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"In the midst of people running to their free period classes, he and Thor stop and meet each other's eyes.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""We were great together," Thor says. "I could listen to you read me a manual to put a refrigerator together."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why would you put a refrigerator together?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Why wouldn't you?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Yes, how can Loki argue with that? "You weren't exactly terrible either."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""That may be one of the nicest things you've said to me, so thank you. I look forward to our next project." Thor's smile falters at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes flit down and back up to Loki's face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki turns around and walks to the nearest restroom.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor shoves him up against the wall in a stall and kisses him, his thumbs on Loki's cheekbones and hands holding Loki in place—trying to. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki takes a handful of his silk-soft hair at the nape of his neck and pulls Thor down closer, deepens the kiss so he can runs his tongue on the edges of Thor's lips and taste the skin. Thor's thigh presses between his legs, body warm against Loki, and Loki breaks the kiss to breathe.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The restroom door opens, and Thor lifts Loki off his feet, Loki squeezing his legs around Thor's waist.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor, his eye wide and pupils blown, holds a finger against Loki's lips as his hand unzips Loki's pants between them. "Can you be quiet for me?" he whispers, quieter than Loki has ever heard him, and Loki nods.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"With his hands on the back of Loki's thighs, Thor drops to his knees and shifts Loki's legs over his shoulders, and Loki bites the inside of his lip at the sight of Thor's blond head between his legs, his hands sliding over Loki's thighs toward his zipper.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's hand wraps around him and tugs him free, and Loki squeezes his legs over Thor's shoulders. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He thinks that he may die when Thor's tongue touches the underside, wet-warmth and soft, and Thor looks up at him under his blond lashes and smirks. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor's mouth is absurdly warm like the rest of him, and unrelenting like he so often is, sucking Loki down without the finesse Thor lacks. His stubble rubs against Loki in a way that makes him toes curl in his shoes, and those hands, those callused, meaty hands stroke him and twist and tug.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki grips Thor's hair and thrusts into Thor's mouth, biting the insides of his lips to stop the sounds that threaten to fall from his mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He can't move, he realizes. He can't move, can only feel Thor's throat contract around him as his body spills every drop of sanity he may have ever had into Thor's mouth.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"After eternity, Thor pulls off, and rises, Loki twitching as Thor's clothes rub against his sensitive skin. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He tastes himself in Thor's mouth, the salty sweet tinge on Thor's tongue and lips, as they kiss, and draws his hand down Thor's shirt, between the two of their bodies, and replaces Thor's hand on himself.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He stops kissing Thor to look down and see the enormity he has in his hand and gasps. Just barely his fingertips overlap, and even with both of his hands, he'd have some to spare. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Fuck."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor tilts him up by the chin and kisses him, and Loki slides and strokes Thor's soft, wet skin until his lips stop against Loki and he pulses in Loki's hand, spurting thick onto his fingers.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor rests his damp forehead against Loki's.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Thor is great at everything. It's a fact.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A sink turns on outside, and Loki gets to his feet and numbly rights himself.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'll see you later," he whispers, heart beating in his ears, and Thor nods and remains in the stall.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bucky smooths his hair in the mirror, lips puckered as he whistles quietly.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki stares at his hands as he washes them.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""You know, you really ought to tell Stark to lay off of Rogers before the guy sucker punches him. Steve's small, but he's got fight in him."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He nods and dries his hands. "Stark will deserve it."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Bucky pats him on the back, canines sharp as he grins. "But Steve's a bleeding heart who'll regret any stepping out of line. You'd know. Thor seems like the same type."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki only makes a neutral sound and goes to Journalism. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" p 


	7. Chapter 7

7. Bruce Banner: Psychopathic Scientist?!

Thor isn't truly the same type Barnes was talking about in the restroom.

He stands in front of a waiting cab and tells Loki he has practice as if he's not elated to go, unlike the previous times he was counting on it to save him, and nearly leans in to do something to Loki, maybe hug or kiss him, before Tony screams a goodbye to them down the sidewalk.

Robert and Luke arrive with Thor before dinner with duffle bags, effectively erasing any chance of Loki sneaking into Thor's room to return the favor and some to Thor.

"Word on the street's that you and Professor Lehnsherr have a little something, something going on," Luke says as Loki patiently waits for Thor to toss the two of them a Gatorade and whatever ingredients they'll need for the protein muck Thor likes to drink.

Thor snorts and opens the freezer as well. "There was nothing going on between Loki and Lehnsherr except lunch."

Robert lifts his eyebrows. "Lunch can mean a lot. Lindy and I go to lunch a lot. Luke and Jess go to lunch a lot."

Thor slams the doors shut, and Loki rolls his eyes and like a normal person opens the door, gets what he needs, and promptly closes it. "Loki's not interested in Lehnsherr."

Loki tilts his head back to drink his water, and in his periphery, Thor watches tactlessly.

Luke lets out a disbelieving sound, a fist to his mouth. "I wanna ask. I wanna fucking ask, but I won't ask because I can't take another stupid ass answer. Now, I'll say that I think me and Bob's life have gotten a hell of a lot easier."

Robert beams. "Thor and Loki are about to go to lunch a lot."

Loki hums and tells them that he'll see them at dinner. Yes, he and Thor are having sex, and will continue to have more sex, and unless Thor won't go moral about having sex in public, they won't be going to lunch any time soon. That is if Loki isn't keen on spending more time than necessary with Thor, and the only necessary time is when Thor is trying to make him cum.

At dinner, Robert talks about the volunteer work he does in his free time, how it feels great to help people, and Thor's nodding along with him as if hearing Robert's do-gooding gives him a vicarious thrill.

Their eyes meet, and Loki simply chews.

Luke apologizes as he and Robert leave the next morning and tells him that Thor is yet again all his.

All of Thor, meaning the parts that make up his golden shell and have his fingers nearly trembling with anticipation..

Odin and his mother call up the stairs that they'll be back for dinner, and the moment the door closes, Loki's slipping into Thor's room.

Thor sprawls golden on his red blanket, and Loki takes in all 76 inches of Thor Odinson unimpeded by pesky clothes—clothes that look great but not this great—and licks his lips until they're nearly sopping.

He swipes his tongue across the clear beads dripping down Thor, and Thor groans low in his chest and lifts his hips for more. Loki drags his lips from base to tip and swallows Thor whole.

His jaw aches and his gag reflexes threatens to choke him, but Loki takes Thor in his hand and a breath through his nose and slides farther and farther until his lips are flush with his index finger and thumb.

He looks up at Thor, and Thor, mouth gaping and eyes wide, is beautifully wrecked.

Thor pumps slowly into his mouth as Loki strokes him, and Thor gasps and groans when Loki sucks a little harder or takes him in a little deeper. He's at Loki's mercy.

He pulls back to the tip, swirling his tongue around the circumference before pushing it into the slit. There's barely enough time for him to prepare to swallow, some falling onto his cheek as Thor cums.

Thor pins him on his back and licks and touches him everywhere and Loki arches into Thor's mouth, into Thor's hands.

"We'll have to do that again," he murmurs against Thor's mouth, and they do in the darkness of Loki's room after their parents have foregone a day out, and Loki moans into Thor's mouth as quiet as he can as Thor moves slick against him.

Thor wraps his arms around Loki and holds him from behind afterward, but when Thor drifts to sleep, Loki slides his way from Thor's heavy, unwanted arms and sighs contentedly.

Having a step-brother isn't so bad after all.

"So, Emma Frost and I are going to see _Skyfall_ tonight," Stark says, not having the tact to feign nonchalance. "Didn't know she was a Bond fan."

"Psh, she looks like a Bond girl," Clint says, and Natasha pauses chewing for the briefest of moments. "She's way out of your league, Stark, and not because you look like you—"

"You wish you had this face!"

"—but because you're a dork, and Emma Frost is Emma Frost."

Loki has seen her strutting in the halls, full lips always in a thin line. She's the girl that the other girls wish they had the nerve to dress like or rather dress less.

"Emma's a person with feelings like all of us, Tony," Steve says. "Don't forget that."

"I'm not going to put a hot dog at the bottom of the popcorn bucket, so don't worry your little blond head. Emma and I are going to sit down at a nice private movie theater, and like a gentleman, I'll give her my jacket for whatever dress she squeezes herself in to."

Tony gets the disagreeing grumbles he deserves.

"Loki, how about you come? Yeah, it'll make up for that incomplete date you had, and you can see some good old action cinema. I saw you barely paying attention to _Green Lantern_. This one's going to be good, and Daniel Craig's pretty sexy in that rugged leather man way."

"I'm not going to be the third wheel on your date, Stark."

"Then I'll get you a date. You've seen these guys, Loki. They're peaking like hell, and you're taking full advantage of it."

Loki chuckles. "I'm not interested in dating anyone you have in mind."

"Adam Warlock? He's in your Org Chem class, sits at the back. Blond hair, tall, looks like Thor if you squint? He's serious as hell about his schoolwork, but I'm sure that passion could be in bed too."

"Adam Warlock looks nothing like me," Thor says, oh so arrogantly.

"Peter Quill? He'll fuck anything, and he's good looking. Or Brian Braddock. He's British and a senior and looks carved out of a statue. Most of the guys here do, so you should, you know, bang a few?"

Loki glances briefly at Thor. "I'm taking care of that fine, Stark."

He and Thor press so closely that they're nearly one skin, so his lie isn't as untruthful as it could be.

Lying in Thor's bed, drained of energy and cum, Thor murmurs against Loki's skin that he can't wait to be inside him. Loki waits until Thor's breaths are even and goes back to his own bed where Thor's words make his heart beat hard against his sternum.

Thor is going to finally fuck him.

The gods are glorious.

"How was your date, Stark?"

Dr. Lactus stands and watches them complete their assignments though Loki's already finished.

"The movie was good, and Emma's good with her hands," Tony says, but without his usual confidence. He shrugs in his seat. "She asked me when I was taking her out again, and I told her when I had the free time. The holidays are coming up, and Steve's my top priority."

Steve looks up and smiles, shaking his head. "You're such a sap, Tony."

"Only for you, Steven."

At lunch, Clint flicks a pea at Loki, but Loki bats it away. "What did you do with the costume?"

"It's in my closet," Loki says. "It was nice."

"Gee, thanks, I'm glad you liked it, but not enough to, you know, put it on and wear it like I wanted you to."

"If you'd like me to wear it for you, Barton, all you had to do was give a date and a place." Loki tucks errant hair behind his ear. "Whether I agree or not remains to be seen, but like I said, it was nice."

"June 28th," Clint says. "My birthday. Don't know where the party's gonna be yet, but wear it there, so everyone can see my unappreciated genius."

Thor stops Loki outside of psychology, eyebrow arched. "That was nice of you. I didn't think all was forgiven."

"It isn't, but I don't have any issues with flaunting how great I look." Walking inside, he glances over his shoulder, and Thor's watching his ass.

Imagining Thor, deep inside where no one else's been, Loki clenches to keep the blood from flooding his cock, and ends up half-hard several times when his mind paints vivid pictures.

Thor's fingers stroke his arm in the cab to school, Thor's pulse rapid under Loki's cheek. "I'm really excited for the weekend," he says into Loki's ear, and Loki smiles against Thor's blazer.

If he didn't need to practice or go to those games of his—there's basketball too now—they could do it tonight or tomorrow, but Loki has waited 16 years and can wait a few more days.

Though simply because he can wait doesn't mean he necessarily wants to, particularly with Thor sauntering around and reminding Loki solely by his existence of what Thor has in his pants.

Friday evening his mother comes home with her hands full of grocery bags, and out of the kindness of his heart rather than any sonly obligation, and perhaps gratitude that she did marry that man because of what Loki's done and going to do with his son.

"I saw Victor while I was out today," she says, handing him meat to put in the freezer.

He does so and turns to her for something else. "What did you do?" he asks, taking another package.

"Nothing terrible," she replies. "We talked."

"About what?"

"I asked him why you two weren't seeing each other anymore, and he told me that you decided you weren't interested." His mother closes the cabinet, spinning around to face him. "I asked him what the circumstances of your… dalliance on Saturday were, and he didn't seem pleased to talk to me. He did because that's his polite nature, but he was relieved when I walked away."

Loki puts away some kind of protein supplement Thor puts in that muck of his.

"You've become so much like Laufey. He was quite terse with his relationships and ended them when he became the least disinterested. I suppose I was lucky enough to be interesting to him that he persisted. Your aunts were quite jealous that a man like, him older, extremely wealthy, handsome, wanted to be with me. He was charming as well."

Most sociopaths are charming to some extent.

"My only request is that you don't break as many hearts as your father did. I encountered many society girls while we dated who warned me about how cold he could be, and it nearly warded me off."

"Hm… alright," he says.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her staring at him, that look of intention on her face, and he sighs. "Okay, I won't be like Laufey."

Laufey preferred to split desks and throw tomes when he raged; Loki prefers to sit in his room alone and construct ways to emotionally destroy those who wronged him.

Being like Laufey is an impossibility Loki has no desire to fulfill.

Loki wakes up and can barely stop the excited tremors in his hands.

He and Thor's conversation is brief, a mere exchange of ideas and confirmation of their plans.

They eat clumsily and fast but not fast enough to arouse Odin and his mother's suspicion and excuse themselves from the table together because they "have plans today" and will "see them tomorrow morning."

Odin approvingly watches as he and Thor lace up their boots and put on their hats and calls after them, "Be safe and have fun, boys!"

The snow salt crunches beneath their boots as they part the busy sidewalk, Thor's hand on Loki's back.

Loki inhales the cool air through his nose and lets it calm down that primal little thing lurking inside, biding its time for tonight. He glances up at the analog clock in the convenience store they walk into and over half the day has already passed.

Down an aisle, Thor's bent over, eyes scanning, and already has a pack of Magnum XL condoms in his hand. The condoms all the boys claim they need.

Loki passes him and scans all the lubrication—for her pleasure; tingling sensation—and selects something that doesn't sound so absurd but should prove to be comfortable. He tossed his own before they moved to spare his mother the embarrassment of unpacking his things and coming across it.

He's an excellent son, he knows.

Thor grabs gummy worms while they're in line and chats with the cashier who laughs along with his terrible attempts at jokes. He's foolish enough to try to shove one in Loki's mouth outside, and Loki shoves him as he deserves though Thor only chuckles around his mouthful of them.

"When you're ready, you should try to stop being an idiot."

Thor is so very lucky that Loki enjoys looking at him, having his hands on him.

"If being an idiot is trying to share with you, I think I'll remain being an idiot."

Their parents are gone.

Loki takes his time to untie his shoelaces and climbs the stairs one at a time.

He shuts Thor's door behind him, and Thor looks over his shoulder, stepping out of jeans.

"You're wearing too many clothes," Thor says as Loki pulls his shirt off and he pulls Loki's jeans down. He smiles, eyebrows raised, up at him, and Loki smiles up at him when he sits down on Thor's bed and Thor stands.

Thor tastes sweet, sugar sweet, and Loki has to laugh into the kiss. Thor's lips move from Loki's to his chin and down to his chest, and Thor takes one of Loki's nipples between his teeth and gently bites and pulls, the sensation going straight to the tip of Loki's cock. He kisses a trail past Loki's navel, and Loki's toes curl when Thor lingers above him, breath ghosting warm on his skin.

Thor's messy, and Loki wants it.

He slides against the soft blanket of Thor's bed and moans for more as Thor's tongue licks him and Thor's hands trail lower and rub and knead.

A cap flicks open, and Thor's fingers touch him lukewarm and wet.

His fingers are big, bigger than Loki's.

One presses in, and Loki takes breathes as if he were in his room in lotus position, deep in through the nose and out through the mouth.

"Relax for me."

He does, enough for Thor to slip another finger aside, and he tells Thor to move them.

They stretch him open, twisting and rubbing inside him. Just missing that spot that sets Loki off.

"Deeper," he says, inhaling. "Deeper."

"I can't go any deeper, Loki." His voice is like a growl.

Loki's empty.

Thor tears open a condom at the edge of Loki's vision, and there's the snap of latex.

Thor is going to fuck him with his enormous cock, and Loki's going to get what he wants. Like he always does sooner or later because what Loki wants, Loki pursues.

Thor's hand pushes Loki's thighs farther apart, and something a lot larger than Thor's fingers presses against him.

Loki stares up at Thor, waiting for him to press inside and continue on to the next logical step, the one he knows is coming and has jerked off imagining.

Thor kisses him, and Loki kisses back until he feels the slight burning and simultaneous filling sensation below, breaking away to gasp for air as he clenches at the sheets to try to grab onto something to ease the overwhelming feeling.

"Are you okay?"

He nods because Thor's looking down at him as if he's discovered the meaning of life itself, and lips agape, eyes delirious and disbelieving, Thor's beautiful. If he weren't okay, the stretch of Thor inside him too much, he'd nod anyway.

Loki wonders if being such a great liar is a gift or a curse.

Thor presses flush against him, buried so far inside of Loki that Loki can almost taste him at the back of his tongue, and he kisses the side of Loki's mouth and stares at him with an odd smile. "I've never felt anything better than you, gods," he says, and Loki moans as Thor shifts, the soft tuft of hair above his cock brushing Loki's skin.

He reaches down to hold the sides of his thighs, pulling his ass open and tilting his hips so, hoping that Thor hits that spot that Loki's fingers have only ever reached.

Thor pulls out, and the loss frustrates Loki. Then he slides back in, thighs slamming onto Loki's fingers with the force of a thrust, and there, he hits that spot inside Loki that turns the ceiling into sparks and his brain to utter junk.

Nearly, very nearly does Loki's body explode in a billion bloody pieces.

His mouth speaks without Loki making it, and whatever he says speeds Thor's hips up and pulls him far inside of Loki to that spot each time so Loki's left gasping for air because he's forgotten how to breathe. His back slides against the velvet soft blanket, head tossed gently back when Thor thrusts forward, and Loki slides his hands to Thor's sweat-slick thighs and holds on.

Thor's hand wraps around Loki, and they meet in middle for a brief kiss and linger there afterward as Thor strokes from base to tip in time with his thrusts. Loki opens his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out expect a moan, and Thor gives him a look as if he completely understands and guides him back down with his lips.

Loki glances between their bodies, and past Thor's hand on him, Thor all of him, disappears into his body, filling him so wide that Loki should be relieved to see Thor withdraw, but he only bites his lip and anticipates fullness as Thor slides back inside.

It's as if Thor belongs there.

Loki's body contracts in on itself, around the huge intrusion that's Thor between his legs, and the pressure crests and rises and Loki's spurting into Thor's fist, onto his chest, and arching off the bed, crying out so loudly that he hears it above his deafening heartbeat.

Thor jerks himself off and adds to the stick streaks on Loki's chest.

Loki stares at the ceiling as his heart slows and his throat seizes with aftershocks.

He lies there for a while, at least until he's regained basic motor function, before he sits up.

"I'm going to take a shower," he says, not bothering to look at Thor, and he gathers he clothes from the pile at the foot of Thor's bed and walks, wincing all the way, to the bathroom.

That was… fun and not at all what he expected.

He sleeps on his stomach and aches in the morning.

It's almost pleasant.

Thor watches as he sits down at the table, and Loki briefly smiles at him.

"Did you two have fun yesterday?" Odin asks over his newspaper.

"Of course," Thor replies, and Loki gives an "mhm" around his glass.

Robert and Luke show up at noon in their workout clothes, and Loki can only give them a neutral look where he leans against the kitchen counter, texting a response to the picture of Warren Worthington Tony took Friday.

"You don't look ready to me," Luke says.

"Thor doesn't tell me anything about going to the gym except that I have to come on certain days, so I can't be expected to be ready," Loki replies, and Robert and Luke make wincing sounds.

"Someone sounds annoyed," Robert says.

Thor descends the stairs in a Cambridge cutoff shirt, arms on full display. "Loki, you don't have to come to the gym, but we're going to lunch afterward, and you'd be welcome to meet us there."

Loki nods. "Alright."

"Call me or text me whether you decide to or not," he says, and Loki looks at his phone rather than give Thor the strange look he deserves. What purpose does he have for Loki calling or texting him if it's not for directions?

"I'll keep that in mind."

Loki rolls his eyes as hard as he can when Thor's back's disappeared behind the front door.

Stark sends him a picture of Robert staring straight at the camera—and the moron behind it—and _Thor could set you two up. I bet he'd be the best wingman._

_Robert has a girlfriend._

_So?_ _Not your girlfriend, not your problem._ Another. _Your dick? #1 priority._

With Stark not in mind, he locks eyes with a beanie-wearing boy walking up Fifth Avenue rather than down, and when a gloved hand taps his shoulder, and he turns to the same red beanie, Loki doesn't balk at the "We should get coffee or something" or the ten digits carefully told to him to tap into his phone.

Back in Stockholm, there were boys. Skurge the most notable of them all, but others that he barely remembers the names of but only the make-out sessions in the library at school or in the city when there wasn't homework to do or a book to read. He wasn't like some teenagers, rutting against anything with a pulse, but he had needs, wants.

He wouldn't go so far to say that his dick has ever been his "#1 priority" however.

Loki sits in Charles' café and allows some blond 20-something in a striped scarf to admire him over his cup. His whole being is his top priority, and it just happens that recently, certain parts of his being have been taken care of rather thoroughly.

Thor gives him this look as if the same isn't true for him as Loki sheds his few layers in the foyer, lips just barely curved into a smile likely out of habit. He's terrible at composure. "You had lunch alone?"

"I know being alone is completely foreign to you, but try to sound less pitying. You should try seeing other parts of New York besides the gym and SHIELD and your friends houses too. I've found a café and a place of peace that happens to serve amazing tea. Professor Xavier even goes there."

"Well, we went to a restaurant I've never been to before today." Thor stands from the stairs as Loki climbs two. "They served Thai food."

"Mm, I hope it was good."

"You didn't text me," he shouts after him, and Loki turns around at the top of the stairs to be sure Thor sees the slow roll of his eyes.

Somewhere in the first fourth of _Blindness_, Thor jumps out of the semi-darkness, and yes is the annoyed demand for Thor to leave him alone on the tip of his tongue but his cock proves to be a more pressing matter than his book.

He pins Loki's wrists to the bed with one of his hands and covers Loki's screams for more with the other.

How Thor gives more than more.

"Thought about my offer?" Stark adjusts those stupid rose-colored sunglasses of his, shifting in his seat in that irritating manner he does everything.

"There wasn't an offer. There was you saying something stupid as usual."

"Wow. Do you—do you know how many people would kill to hear my half-tired rambling? It's because everything I say—everything—is astoundingly genius. You should really learn to appreciate, Laufeyson. One day, one day far away, you're not going to have Stark genius a text away."

Jane Foster tells him that she likes his shirt. He tells her that he knows.

Thor scowls at him and warns that he'll "pay for that later."

Loki screams behind Thor's hand that he's going to flay him when Thor's hand around him simply squeezes, providing no friction whatsoever and leaving him hanging there on the cusp.

"Are you sorry?" Thor kisses him between the shoulder blades, and Loki shoves at his—sweat-damp, warm, firm—chest and promptly exits Thor bed in the most dignified walk he can muster after _that_.

Mr. Wagner cocks an eyebrow in French and with an unnecessarily large grin, lays a hand on Loki's shoulder and says, "I see someone has found love, ah?"

Loki shakes his head but doesn't say that he's just found Thor in a few different places on and in his body.

Clint pelts Loki's tray with peas and holds a "conversation" with Thor—the two of them shouting words at each other that happen to make some sense in sequence—as Loki listens to Steve explain the importance of voting to Tony, or rather tries to.

Bruce hasn't been in any of their shared classes since last week, lunch included.

"So, how's it going with you and this mystery girl?" Clint asks, and Steve's crusade for proper democracy fades out of focus. "I know you're always talking about love and all that. You seem happy lately, happier than usual."

Loki isn't expecting Thor to leap atop the table and rip his shirt to reveal a rainbow one beneath nor is he expecting Thor to grunt and say something like, "Me and _many_ girls, you mean?"

"There isn't a 'mystery girl'," he says, far more reasonable than any hypothetical.

Clint scoffs. "C'mon, dude, I wasn't born yesterday. I know that look you've been having. You're with someone. You don't have to tell us any names, alright? I'll settle for anything, enough to aim in the dark."

He knows that look because he's glanced in a mirror in Natasha's presence.

"I don't think you'd understand."

Thor the honest prince charming cannot tell a small lie to save his skin.

"Oh, so she's in a relationship?" Tony asks, nodding. "I understand. Don't want to upset the boyfriend. But I've got to say those types aren't really fit for relationships since they're willing to ditch their main guy for you, they're usually going to do the same to some other you when you're the main guy. Not saying that'd happen to you. I mean, look."

"There was almost healthy relationship advice in there, Tony," Steve says.

Thor sighs. "It's simply not something I want to disclose. I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Natasha watches Thor closely, and her eyes shift to Loki and back. Loki's not surprised when she says nothing.

Sitting back and simply observing can reveal far more than most words can. She knows this like Loki does, and if one person out of the few that insist on surrounding Loki with themselves does, many more around SHIELD do.

Thor's lucky that Loki has the thoughtfulness he lacks, or the dark looks Thor sends in his direction, the slowness his fingers drift down Loki's arm with, the tendency of Thor's hands to grab onto Loki and handle him down the halls would give away the dimensions of their step-brother, step-brother relationship to any looking eyes.

It's thrilling too. All of them wanting what Loki has had and envying him for it.

Natasha asks him to come with her to the library during free period while Clint and Thor have one of their conversations with an unfortunate Steve somehow participating, and Loki agrees, hearing the implication.

"Hey, thanks for inviting me too," Stark says, and Loki takes a long sip of his water.

"If you would've ever had that book date, I would have really came," Natasha says, glancing around the aisle. "Not because of my hatred for that _mudak,_ but because I'm happy to have someone genuinely interested in talking to me about books. Banner doesn't care if it's not about science, Clint likes picture books or comics, Stark is, well, Stark, and Steve gets too caught up in the morality. I would ask Professor Xavier, but I have a feeling that he would talk about book binding."

Loki runs his fingers along the pristine book spines. "I'm sure he would," he replies. "A book date would've probably turned out the same."

At the end of the aisle, she pivots on her heel, but he remains examining the titles from ceiling to floor. "I'm glad you've found someone better than him. He's a good guy."

"In bed you have no idea."

She sniffs. "Step-brothers with benefits. Can't say I didn't see that coming. My advice fell on deaf ears."

Her advice was heard but not heeded.

"This is going to either end extremely badly or the two of you are going to realize how bad of an idea this is."

"What, having sex with someone who also wants to have sex with me?"

"No, Loki, having sex with someone and accidentally falling in love with them."

Falling in love? What a massive jump, sex, incredible sex, to being in love. Natasha of all people should know that the two can be mutually exclusive, having seen people behind their masks and the secrets they keep under them.

Sex may make people think they're in love, yes, but Loki would be well aware that it was his brain chemistry at play. He isn't some common fool.

"Have you read this?" He holds up _Notre-Dame de Paris_.

"Yes, I have in French," she says. "Have you?"

He places it back on the shelf. "If Thor died, I wouldn't kill myself," he says. "I'd miss the sex, but not that much."

Natasha smiles lop-sided, shaking her head.

They end up in the farthest corner of the library, Loki sitting in an alcove with his legs outstretched as Natasha reads a book written in German, Natasha translating the words as she reads them aloud. She stumbles, brow furrowing, but never pauses.

"How long have you loved Clint?"

She stops reading. Natasha's eyes snap to his face, her expression hard. "What?"

"He worships the ground you walk on, and you allow him to throw his peas instead of eating them. A friend might do the same, but you two don't look at each other like friends do."

"Labels and declarations aren't for everyone," she says, standing. "Come on. The period's about to end."

He nods at Scott and Jean where they sit forehead to forehead. "You sound like Reed Richards."

Natasha glares at him where she stands in the doorway.

There's a primal scream from somewhere down the hall, and suddenly Natasha is holding an arm out to halt Loki's progress down the corridor. Confused, Loki looks over at her for an explanation but sees the look of absolute and undeniable terror in her eyes and the slight nervous pursing of her lips that he knows is her trying to think of what to do.

Something interesting is about to happen. "I wonder what that was."

Natasha turns to look at him. "Bruce."

He would laugh if he weren't kind of afraid that Natasha would lash out for him thinking whatever's happening is a joke. Bruce Banner is letting out a roar like that? He knows that there's something about Bruce that he doesn't know, but roaring?

Come to think of it, it isn't that ridiculous. Loki always saw something insane lurking behind the surface. It seems like it's finally come out to "play."

Before Natasha can react, Loki begins to advance down the hallway, taking huge strides that he knows will make Natasha have to run to catch up with. There's another scream, but it's even louder and beastly than the last one.

He has to see what's going on. The curiosity is going to kill him.

The scene around the corner is something out of a sci-fi horror film, broken metal chairs scattered around the center of the hallway, the double doors leading to a science lab open to an unseen room.

Natasha moves silently beside him.

What dim light there is reflects off shattered pieces of shattered glass strewn across the ground between the ceiling high machines.

He steps over them carefully and strains to hear over the whir of the machines for any signs of Bruce. The dark gaps between the machines are far too dark to see anything beyond their path and the opposite wall.

"Bruce?" Natasha's voice echoes eerily.

Chairs, broken chairs, lie in front of door.

Amidst the overturned tables and instruments scattered across the ground, someone paces back and forth, a dark outline against a tiling of screens all blinking the same message in red: **FAILURE**.

Bruce breathes loudly, shoulders heaving.

"What happened?" Loki asks.

Bruce halts and turns to him. He steps forward and light glints off his glasses, the rest of his face shadowed. There's red all over his arm.

Blood, fresh blood.

"Who's blood is that?" Natasha asks.

"Victor!" he screams, and the chairs, they make sense.

"Loki, wait—"

He slams his palm into the door and shouts to let him in as Natasha lets out a grunt and hits out at something metallic behind him.

The door opens, and he's yanked inside, reaching out to do the same to Natasha.

Natasha slams it shut and turns the lock, panting.

Shelves and shelves stuffed with boxes and jars and containers fill the room. If there were a place to flee, it would be this one.

"What happened?" he asks.

Something hits the door.

Victor has four aerosol cans in front of him and slips a ring onto one of them. Smoke grenade cans though with the empty flasks not far away, Loki doubts they hold smoke.

"You might want to hurry up, von Doom," Natasha hisses as the door rattles.

He clips another ring. "Banner went psychotic. He probably hasn't medicated himself in days."

Bruce screams, and Natasha gasps as the door jars.

Victor stands with the smoke grenades, and blood covers the right side of his face. Loki can't tell where the wound even is. "When you open the door, take a deep breath, run, and don't exhale."

Tear gas? Mustard gas?

Natasha nods and grabs the door handle.

She flings it open, and Loki inhales and runs.

The lights are red.

A can hits the ground and sprays.

He outpaces Natasha quickly and grabs ahold of her arm to pull her along the hall, up the staircase, and keeps track of Victor's footsteps ahead of ones that clomp against the ground. He throws open the first set of doors and runs through the hall, past the endless lockers, for those with windows to the outside.

Loki shoves open doors he only knows lead to the rest of campus and only when he's on the sidewalk connecting the soccer field and SHIELD does he stop.

The doors shut behind a panting Victor, and Loki allows himself to regain his breath.

"Where's—?"

The lights above the door shifts from green to red, and the doors buzz.

"What was that?" Natasha asks Victor's turned back.

"Chlorine gas," he says, turning to them. "Green 3 lockdown. SHIELD's quicker than previously thought."

Blood droplets trickle off his chin onto his lab coat. He needs to stop the bleeding.

Victor grabs Loki's wrists, Loki's fingertips warm with the blood along Victor's jaw. "Don't touch my face."

"Either you stop the bleeding, or I will." He yanks his wrists away.

Three figures emerge from the trees in Loki's periphery.

"Loki, Miss Romanoff—"

"Victor, oh my god." Miss Darkholme tugs McCoy by the arm to Victor who sets his jaw in a way that exposes the extent of his wound, a deep vertical cut from temple to jaw.

There are chessboard tables in the shadow of the trees.

Charles' not far behind though he stops and touches a hand to his mouth and looks at them. "The fight, was it Victor and Bruce then?"

Natasha nods, swallowing. She looks terrified.

"Christ, I'd hoped Bruce had gotten the help he needed."

"Here, at least press this to your cheek." McCoy shoves a fabric napkin into Victor's hand. "It should ease the bleeding."

Victor turns so that his cheek is hidden and flinches away from Miss Darkholme's hand.

Loki's fingertips press sticky into his palm. "This happened before?"

"Yes, they so tactlessly deemed it 'the Abomination,'" Xavier says.

"Bruce jumped down a flight of stairs and attacked this boy Emil Blonsky," Natasha says. "He used to go here, very aggressive and headstrong, which meant that he and Bruce did not get along at all. Bruce was already in a bad mood due to an argument with Reed, and Emil goaded him into a fight."

"There was loads of blood," Charles says. "Loads of it."

"And most of it was Emil's." Natasha crosses her arms, expression steely. "They transferred him to HYDRA. Didn't trust him to try to get Bruce back for what he did to him. Bruce, on the other hand, was on SHIELD probation for a while, and he had to stay on the sidelines for a lot of high stress activities."

He probably decided that he was far too young for love at the time too. How coincidental.

Rapid footsteps hit the sidewalk, and Loki turns in time to prepare for the assault.

Thor's hands are warm on his face, his thumbs a gentle press to Loki's cheekbones. He kisses Loki's forehead and wraps his arms around him so tightly that Loki struggles to not wipe the blood on his blazer.

He inhales the ocean and the sharp tinge of Thor's body spray.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Thor says, pulling away. Of course, his eyes go to Loki's hands. "Who's-?"

"Not mine."

"What exactly did you use on Bruce?" Hank Pym asks, hand on his chin. "Green 3 is… corrosive, toxic. Bruce has his ways, alright, but don't tell me you hurt him too bad."

Victor turns to look Hank in the eye. "What needed to be done, was done." He slides past Loki and walks off toward Howard Center, the glass building Thor and the others came from.

Loki goes to follow but a stout man who looks like everyone's father back in Stockholm ambles into his path, Reed continuing on in his pursuit of Victor unimpeded.

The Swedish man holds out a hand and shakes Loki's enthusiastically. "Professor Erik Selvig, SHIELD's premiere astrophysics teacher." His voice drips with an accent, their accent. "Nice to finally meet you, Loki. Thor's told me a lot about you."

SHIELD has a preference for Eriks.

"He seems to do that a lot." He walks around Professor Selvig.

Victor walks a brisk pace while beside him Reed asks questions that Victor's likely not answering. Not that Victor can be blamed with how self-righteous Reed looks with his arms crossed.

"Glad to see you're okay," Reed says, glancing at him.

"Everyone's worried about everyone," he replies, and Reed nods.

He's not thinking of his not-girlfriend Susan Storm, is he? "Chlorine gas can be lethal over long periods of exposure, so we should be worried. Victor's put a lot of people in danger."

Loki stops, so Victor stops, and thus Reed stops since he can't pester Victor if he's too far away.

"Victor saved mine and Natasha's lives. Bruce was completely deranged. He would've tried to kill us if not succeeded."

"I remember the 'Abomination' in freshman year. I was there. I was a direct cause, and I took responsibility for it like Victor should. He made Bruce this way. You two may be together, but you're intelligent enough to see past your feelings for him."

"Victor and I aren't simply going the way of you and Susan. We're not together at all. I thought you'd be intelligent enough to have seen that, Richards."

Reed's brow rises as he scratches at the gray of his hair. "I… stand corrected, but I think we should try to fix this. We won't be dismissed until they decontaminate the hallways of all the gas. As much as we all love SHIELD, there aren't many of us that want to stay here past 3:00."

He spares them of his presence, walking off back in the opposite direction.

Victor stares at him, the bloody half of his face obscured. "I appreciate your helping though I didn't need it," he says. "Anyone else in this school would have encouraged Banner to continue."

"I can't blame them for seeing that look you always have on your face and hearing how condescending you are and deciding that you're an utter asshole. You are an asshole, but you don't deserve death."

McCoy's suddenly there, hand on Victor's shoulder, explaining about some "medical kit in Howard" and ushering a resisting Victor onward with a strength that Loki's not so surprised at given today's events.

The highly intelligent, bespectacled, quiet ones are the ones to watch.

"Loki?" Erik, the missing fourth of Charles' group, comes up the path between SHIELD and the administration building, a newspaper under his arm, and they fall into step. "Who's blood's on your hands?"

"Victor von Doom's," he says, and Erik nods as if that makes all the sense in the world. "Bruce attacked him."

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. They've always despised each other. Banner's unstoppable, but von Doom is unbeatable. The fight was bound to happen." Erik squints, eyes slits of light blue. "How'd you get involved?"

The others gathered there, Thor, Jane Foster, Hank Pym, Miss Darkholme, Charles, Professor Selvig, Reed, look to him for the answer.

Natasha sits alone at one of the chess tables.

"Natasha and I were in the secondary library and heard Bruce screaming, so we ventured inside and saw the mess of furniture and Bruce fuming over some failure. Victor had locked himself in the storage room. We attempted to talk to Bruce, and he attempted to hit us. I went for the storage room, and Victor let us inside. He used smoke grenades to stop Bruce from murdering the three of us."

Brief silence.

"It failed? How could it fail? We've been perfecting the design for hundreds of days, and we've been running hundreds of trials. We all triple checked our math." Hank holds his hands to his head, and Reed holds one to his chin. "Bruce blamed Reed because he was there, and he's constantly an ass to him. What if all of us had been there?"

"All of you weren't, Mr. Pym, so let's not dwell on hypothetical histories," Charles says. "Let's go forward. To Howard Center to be exact. It's far less cold in there, and we can all sit down and gather our wits."

"Good idea, professor," Selvig says, chuckling. "Come on, you all. Come on."

Natasha silently walks ahead.

"Loki." Thor's arm guides Loki away by sheer strength, and Loki takes in a quick breath and turns to Thor with full intent to ask him what he wants. His eyes are pale blue, pupils pinpoints, and the white sunlight above dyes his hair the pale flaxen of wheat.

Stupid, beautiful Thor.

"What were you thinking? You could've gotten killed."

"So could've Victor," he replies. "You would've done the same, and don't you make up some lame excuse of why it's alright because you can bench 450 pounds. I can defend myself just fine, and I can run faster than probably you can."

"I highly doubt that."

Loki glares at him.

"How can I take you at your word? I've never seen you run."

"I haven't seen you run either, but I know my ability. I did make it out here alright."

"That's because you haven't come to a single game, which you eventually will. It's your fault that you'll have to sit in the snow."

"I don't mind the cold," Loki says, their shoulders brushing in the doorway. "It's actually far, far better than spring or summer."

"I'm from Sweden too, Loki, and I don't love winter or the cold or snow. You're—"

"Insane?" He cocks an eyebrow at Thor. "If I weren't, I'd be boring, and boring isn't fun at all."

"I'm sure that if anyone could, you would make boring fun."

Thor… has a point, he supposes. Loki can make something out of anything because the first seven years of his life, he was solely reliant on his imagination to fill in the gaps. Yet another talent that Laufey's had a hand in him developing.

Howard Stark grins a Tony smile in a black and white photograph lobby center. It'd odd, that a man most would think would be the mentor father of their dreams could turn out to be nothing more than a nightmare and a chip on the shoulder.

Loki understands Tony Stark.

"There's a restroom through those doors." Selvig cocks his chin and points, smiling warmly.

"Thank you," he says, briefly meeting Thor's eyes.

The water runs off his fingers dark pink and lightens as his fingers clean, swirling around the metal basin. Washing Victor's blood off like Victor wiped off Loki's cum.

He and Sigyn have done the same, and though she's an ocean away, she is his Steve Rogers.

Not that Loki is Tony Stark. He's far taller and wittier than Tony Stark could ever hope to be.

Thor's waiting, phone in hand, when Loki exits and replaces his arm around Loki's shoulders as if it belongs there. "They've cut off all phone service and internet access. We're caged animals."

"We aren't trapped in here."

"Actually, the SHIELD guards have got the perimeter of the campus, 1st Avenue, East 20th, East 14th, and Avenue C, all blocked off," Reed interrupts. "We're not trapped in Howard, but we're trapped on SHIELD campus. Less caged and more enclosed."

Thor lifts his brow in an _I told you so_ fashion, and Loki gives him the most obvious phony smile he can muster. "I have soccer practice at 4:00, so I do hope this doesn't take long enough that I miss basketball practice at 6:30."

"People may be dying from chlorine gas inhalation, and practice is your top priority." He turns up his nose and smirks. "How thoughtful of you."

"Practice isn't my top priority, Loki. When you're home safe, it will be, but it's not right now."

Loki can almost gag at how maudlin Thor has the nerve to be without any sort of regret, particularly when Thor is anything but in many areas, rough, dominating, passionate, but not sweet.

Thor moves his thumb and a finger to the scalp at the base of Loki's skull, and he stares at him with this intensity that heats Loki's comfortably chilled blood and directs it to pool in his gut and continue to simmer until Thor gives the word.

He shouldn't be allowed to that. Hard-ons, yes, but this is quite different.

"Oh, Loki, I'm unsure if you've heard about Howard's extensive collection of science literature." Charles' smile is innocent though his eyes aren't. The ideas he had, they're conclusions now. "If you'd be interested, I could show you the way. I have an inkling we won't be leaving SHIELD campus for a few hours if bureaucracy has its way."

His mouth opens with an easy affirmative when the doors part around a small army of navy armor in bullet proof vests with SHIELD's eagle adorning their chests and ventilation masks. They spill inside and color the empty spaces in the lobby their matte deep blue, spreading up the staircases like a virus.

A dozen sets of goggled-eyes aim at him, and the annoyance of what's clear to come halts any effects of Thor's charm.

His hands go palms forward at shoulder level. This is America where you must prove you don't have a gun before surrendering yourself to the military industrial complex.

Hands gloved in rough material yank his wrists to the small of his back and snap metal cuffs on that Loki knows if he maneuvered just right, he could slip his hands from.

"Why are you taking him?" Thor shouts, and four of them restrain him at the arms, two each. They've been warned. "He didn't do anything!"

Whatever's been whispered through their earpieces disagrees.

Natasha's a figure of complete placidity as they lead her ahead of him.

"Are you experiencing any ocular, dermal, or respiratory irritation?" one of the hands on him drones, a hand between Loki's shoulder blades pressing him forward.

"No."

Masked faces march the sidewalks in pairs, and from the red tunnels that were once exits, figures in biohazard suits emerge from and disappear into the white fog. Reed told Victor that he had an obligation to rectify this, but it seems that Reed in all his self-important hubris forgot that they went to SHIELD.

What was it that they said in that orientation book, that they had a "state of the art emergency response protocol?" It was a brief section beneath the heading 'Security' of course, something that most private schools likely included to soothe parental woes about their beloved blood.

Perhaps SHIELD didn't elaborate further because with the student body and the surreal exploits they get up to, it wasn't needed.

The casual mention of their parent organization being military in origin in that first enthusiastic sentence in that orientation book was warning enough.

They lead them into a tent erected between main SHIELD and the administration building, and there, he is uncuffed, given an unnecessary shove forward toward an opening in the inflated white walls, and told to change.

A frosted plastic flap is dropped behind him and zipped, two figures outside silhouetted against it. The sterility burns his nostrils as he breathes in, and he glares at the plastic-wrapped clothes they presumably want him to change into, slate blue and, what a massive surprise, navy.

It's his gym uniform except with long sleeves, without the SHIELD emblem on his chest—no worries, of course, because it's in the same place as his blazer—and made of some material that is weightless against his skin and almost unnervingly soft—he expects a hard-on from the rub but it merely… tickles. How it pains him to remove his sneakers with the knowledge that he may never see them again and must exchange them for some thin-soled pseudo-boot.

Victor will buy him new sneakers because he couldn't elect for a simple smoke grenade. It had to be toxic.

Though Bruce wasn't nearly stupid—or sane—enough to be slowed down by a smoke grenade.

They unzip the plastic flap the moment he is done, and Loki smirks and asks, "You enjoyed what you saw, right?" Their eyes narrow behind their gas masks, and they put their gloved hands on his shoulders and lead him to yet another place inside the tent.

It's SHIELD's attempt at a waiting room in these circumstances because they know how far good appearances can alleviate a situation. None of them are so susceptible to those tactics but lesser, weaker minds at SHIELD are.

Natasha and Victor sit on an inflated couch in identical clothes, and how they mold Victor's chest and arms leaner than Thor's but just as sculpted, is to be appreciated.

Victor has a white bandage running the length of the clean right side of his face. He's in far better shape than he last was. The McCoy touch extends past Chemical and Physical Biology it seems.

Loki sits in the ample space between them with a sigh. "What are we waiting for now, interrogation?"

That would explain the effort they took to place comfort in the midst of the tent's impersonal sterility. SHIELD wouldn't be so brazen for steel tables and one-sided window mirrors.

The door flaps part in front of a gas masked man in tailored dark gray and black who lifts the mask to reveal a patch across his eye.

Vice-Principal Coulson and Miss Hill do the same.

Principal Fury, the object of many of Stark's complaints but a mystery to Loki until now. "Mr. Von Doom, you've made quite the mess," he says, words punctuated said with a sharp nod of the head. "Though I can't blame you with Mr. Banner's renowned temper. I've been to hell and back and that would've shook me up too."

"What I did was out of necessity, not fear," Victor says.

"Can be the same thing, especially in life or death situations," Fury replies, unfazed. "Don't worry. We've taken it all in consideration. The board would agree with my decision given who you and Mr. Banner are."

The many fights that Skurge started with people who dared to challenge his hockey aptitude were all punished with verbose sentences that served only to pacify his detractors and victims and let him off as lightly as they could. They couldn't risk their star player on the bench like SHIELD can't risk their brightest students missing a stray lesson or experiment.

"Mr. Laufeyson, care to share what you find funny?"

Loki clasps his hands. "Everything."

Fury looks him over with his one dark eye and snorts. "I'm sure." He crosses his arms. "Your actions were impressive. Maybe it was naïve, ignorant, but you approached a situation most would've run from head-on. Those are the traits SHIELD prizes in our students."

"Most of your students would have done the opposite," Victor says.

"Then we should be even gladder it was Mr. Laufeyson there."

"Romanoff, you're free to go." Miss Hill cocks her chin, and Natasha rises and silently goes.

She hasn't spoken a word in ages.

"While these aren't the greatest of times, I'm glad to finally meet you in person. Teacher reports and grades are one thing, but what I see with my own eye is what really matters." Fury looks at Victor. "For your ridiculously selfish decision to release chlorine gas without one thought toward the possibility that it would ventilate throughout the school, you're being suspended for nine days with limited access to NYU's facilities. Your work will be sent to you via email, and you're subject to the regular deadlines."

Victor blinks.

"You can go," Coulson says, and Victor rises with the flourish of someone who's gotten off easy.

Loki faces the three of them in wait for the next praise of his immense bravery.

Fury puts his hands on his hips. "They found Banner unconscious in corridor C."

Why are they—they think—no, they know that Bruce is his friend.

It's odd.

"How is he?"

"They've got him at New York Presbyterian," Hill says. "He woke up during the ambulance ride and asked if you and Romanoff were alright. None of them knew who he was talking about, so he choked a guy until the SHIELD guard there told him you were. He went unconscious again afterward."

Fury shakes his head. "The boy's got his share of issues, and combine that with the stakes he's got here—all of us have got here—you end up with this kind of situation. He's his own worst enemy, tries to fight off his needs to get stuff done and neglects himself in the process."

"Which is why it's important that he have a support system," Coulson says. "All of you, Stark, Rogers, Romanoff, Barton, Banner, and even Thor, need one. I was a SHIELD student before, and I was a teenager."

"Believe it or not," Hill says, smiling, and his thin lips twitch.

"And how will you punish Bruce?"

"He won't be coming back till the New Year, which is both for his own good and everyone else's," Fury says. "We rehab here at SHIELD, teach lessons. It's another place we're ahead of the government in." He glances at his wrist watch. "It's way past dismissal, so you can get the hell out of here. Your family's probably waiting for you."

'Family.' Loki almost laughs at the word, how unusual it sounds in any relation to him.

"Enjoy your first Thanksgiving, Mr. Laufeyson."

He and Fury exchange a nod, and Loki escapes the sterile fortress without the lingering masks daring to obstruct the way.

The air is crisp and cold and full of city pollute, and Loki gulps it in, allowing himself to smile a pure smile of relief in the milling crowd of students casting curious glances at him and SHIELD guards standing vigil at every corner.

So, this is what SHIELD life is like, chaotic yet orderly.

Tony comes running through the crowd, shouting Loki's name the way as if the student scrambling away aren't granting a view to him. "Holy shit! I thought you were dead. There was red lockdown which isn't that big of a deal, but Scott texted Alex that he saw you and Natasha leave the second library, and Alex told all of us, and I put two and two together after the green lockdown that you were dead."

"But I'm not—"

"But you're not dead like I thought which is a relief because I'm sure Bruce couldn't live with that kind of guilt. Guy's got enough problems of his own and killing one of his two best friends—Jones is too lame to count—would push him over the edge. So, you coming to hunt down which hospital they sent him to? Steve says we should 'give him time,' but Bruce is my bro, my science-bro, so I can't just 'give him time.'"

Loki wouldn't consider himself a best friend of Bruce's with how little he knew about Bruce before today, most notably his psychosis and violent tendencies. Steve's also right that Bruce does need time to himself. Bruce always needs time to himself. He and Loki bond over their shared love of solitude. In his place—though he isn't and Loki is not so self-absorbed to do as others would and pretend as if he were—he would want nothing more than to be alone.

But Tony Stark is persistent like Loki will always be because persistence ends in success.

The blue eyes penetrating him from dozens of rapidly decreasing feet away are proof of that.

"No but take Rick Jones with you," Loki tells him. "He's at New York Presbyterian Hospital and probably still unconscious."

There's a heat reignited inside him as he makes his way to Thor, one Thor stoked earlier but never had the chance to make anything of. How it reminds him of the recent times he's spent under Thor's overwhelming attentions, the surety of his hands, the messiness of his movements, and how they take him apart as nothing else ever has.

The hug earlier pales to the embrace Thor brings him into and Loki reciprocates.

"I'm skipping soccer practice," he murmurs, voice rumbling through his chest into Loki's, and Loki says, "Good."

Again, his name's shouted, but Stark's voice has been replaced by that of Loki's mother and the surprise is entirely absent.

Urgency instead occupies its place.

He withdraws his arms from around Thor as the sharp click of his mother's ever so high heels against the concrete gets closer. A part of him, steels out of instinct at memories of that same sound on his pre-school's linoleum and the dressing downs that followed for his "submissiveness" and tight grips on his wrists as he was dragged out of the office to spend his suspension in her open contempt.

Loki quickly got better at retaliating and not getting caught.

She meets him without the warmth that Thor did, rouge-painted lips pursed tight enough to exaggerate the sharp angles of her cheekbones. "They call me to say you're being contaminated, and I think that you're dying. You look fine."

"I am."

She crosses her arms, lifting her brow. "Then what happened?"

"I was involved in helping an injured student who defended himself against another student using toxic gas. They decontaminated me as a precaution though I told them that I was alright. Don't worry, I'm not being punished."

"You helped someone? And let me guess, was it Victor? When you fell in love, I knew that it'd be with a character like him," she says. "He will be to you what I was to Laufey. You complement each other."

"Victor and I aren't together." For the second time today but this time to his mother. "We're friends."

"Hm, 'friends.' Don't be like your father, Loki. I've warned you. You can't call him your friend and have sex with him and also treat him with care elsewhere."

"Mother," he hisses in Swedish, and Thor's staring at him like, like his mother's words are more than nonsensical statements that Loki's aunts whispered to her as she grew up. "We're friends, alright?"

"Alright, Loki, whatever you must tell yourself. Since you're fine and I've already left work early, we're going to go to one of those restaurant Odin and I haven't had a chance to get to ourselves and have a nice meal. I figure we could try something new today."

"Um, I have to get to—practice. I have football—soccer practice," Thor says, slowly, eyes focused on the ground. He briefly looks up at Loki's mother but not at Loki, and she gives an acknowledging hum and nothing more as he walks away.

Thor is an utter idiot.

"I suppose it's you and I unless you want to invite your friend Victor."

Loki would never be so masochistic to provide his mother ammunition on a silver platter. Without it, she's far more tolerable to be around, and Loki can allow his guard down enough to relax and carry on a conversation with her not consisting entirely of words he's pored over before allowing them to as much as move into his mental queue.

"You and Thor are getting extremely close," she says, eyes on the drink she's stirring. "With you two being opposite sides of the same coin, I only had hopes for you taking settling into a decent camaraderie, but you are actually friends. True friends unlike whatever you have with Victor."

How wrong she has that.

"Thor is… nice." Loki takes a bite of his pulled pork and chews while his mother watches, waiting for another compliment that Thor definitely doesn't need. He swallows. "We associate with the same people, so I have no choice but to be around him in school too."

"But we both know how great you are at avoiding things and people you don't want to be around. Odin can be so heavy-handed in how he handles these types of things. He is an engineer after all, but I know how you are and how his attempts were counterproductive. Your friendship only exists because you, Loki, want it to."

What his mother believes she knows about him differs from what Loki knows about himself. She can repeat herself until she's hypoxic, gasping for air and getting none, but her lies don't become any truer. This is where her lies and his are opposite.

Loki can make his own truths.

"Tomorrow, are you going to the parade?" she asks.

Parade?

Oh, parade.

That Thanksgiving Parade where inflated cartoons are marched across the city and people gather in the early hours of the morning for a look at enlarged balloons.

He doesn't bother containing his distaste. "No."

"I figured as much. You should however to get the experience and then decide you dislike it. Your preconceived notion that it's not worthy of your time may be wrong, and then you will be missing out on something enjoyable."

"That can apply to anything I haven't tried," he replies. "If you want to go, you can. I'll simply be asleep until I decide to wake up and partake in whatever feast you and Odin are making."

"I'll be far too busy for that," she says, "and Odin went when he was younger."

"I had no idea they held it millennia ago."

"Loki, he's 50, only 23 years older than me. He's not 'old.'"

Whatever she says to make herself feel better about that mistake she made.

The reminder that his mother chose a man over the possibility that Loki would never adjust to a new life entirely can only be blunted by the glory of Thor when Thor is around to stave off the bitter thoughts.

Her voice becomes background noise only rewarded with the stray "Mhm" from him, and Loki leaves her at the bottom of the stairs, mid-sentence, as soon as the chance arises.

She should feel bad, truly bad.

_I hope you're alright. I'll see you tomorrow. – Steve_

Loki's pacing from the belated adrenaline rush, hands alternating between clenched fists at his sides to steepled in front of his lips. His phone vibrates with the stray text from an unknown number, a well wish, and a name, his likely given out by Stark at some point in time.

The product of being Thor's step-brother, incessant texts.

He sits down.

Thor texts him.

_Staying at Robert's. Be home for dinner tomorrow. _– Thor

Loki almost smashes his phone in his hand out of the sheer stupidity displayed in Thor's message, the implication that he needs some space to ponder some nonexistent conflict that Loki's mother's ridiculous words made him conjure and needs Loki to know that. Why would he care that stupid, stupid Thor thinks that it's impossible for them to have amazing sex and remain casual friends? It's not as if Loki's the one who is nice to Thor. He's respectful to him which is quite a large difference since Loki's respectful to anyone deserving of it, and while Thor may be a moron, he's harmless when he's continuing to not think. Thor is nice to him, yes, but Thor is nice to everyone.

They are step-brothers who have sex. Thor can't be that stupid that he doesn't know that.

He doesn't grant Thor a reply and silences his phone and goes about his way.

Thor's been preventing him from finishing several books with his interruptions, so without Thor the incredible idiot there, Loki lies down without worry that Thor will slide in and tear it from his hands and finishes them.

They're not as enjoyable as they should be—if at all.

He wakes hollow and hard and hates Thor.

Why did he have to think?

The sun barely peeks over the housetops as Loki drags his socks across the hardwood and occasional rug from bedroom to kitchen. He holds his bowl of oatmeal to his chest so its warmth dissipates into him, and the vacant stool at the farthest corner of the island cools him down again, mocks him for allowing this to happen.

What, he's not so sure, but there, beneath the passive thoughts, observations about Bruce and Victor and Natasha and that entire happening yesterday, something unknown grows with each passing moment, dense and weighty.

When he tries to grasp for it, it retreats away as if cowering.

Something in Loki doesn't want him to know.

His phone vibrates across the marble, _Steve Rogers_ calling.

Another bite of his oatmeal and he sets the lukewarm bowl aside.

"Steve."

"Loki, good morning, I'm sorry to wake you up," he says, polite though not at all meaning it, "but we're all getting ready down at campus to go uptown for the parade. I was meaning to ask you at the end of the day, but I didn't get that chance."

"My answer would've been the same as it is now: 'no.'"

There's a cheery sigh. "Well, can't say I tried. There's no convincing you when you've got your mind made up."

"No, there isn't."

"We're going up to the Storms' apartment, 25 Columbus Circle. If you somehow change your mind, the door man will send you up to their floor. If you don't, hope you have a good Thanksgiving, Loki. I'll see you later."

Steve Rogers thinks he's sly.

There's a hard knock on the front door.

Loki hates people because they bother him at 6:30 on an official American holiday and don't ring the doorbell.

Loki opens the door and freezes.

There, always so tall and cold, it's him. It's somehow him in flesh and blood form, the same contempt on his face and the aura of subdued anger surrounding him, blue and frosty.

He's dead. He's dead.

Loki went to the funeral.

He's dead.

"Hello, Loki," he says, voice like a buzz saw, cutting through Loki's very being.

He does not faint, but he does not move either.

No, he just stares.


	8. Chapter 8

h2 style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo7;" style="font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman';" /span!-[endif]-Farbauti Laufeyson: Fallacious Guardian?!/h2  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Nál, his name is Nál, and he's not Loki's father.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He's the brother Laufey talked about in passing, the shadowy figure beneath the black umbrella who simply stared at Loki with eyes he knew were in ground with the rest of him before disappearing forever and rendering the memory no more credible than a dream.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His eyes draw tracks of ice across Loki when they scrape down his body, cataloguing rather than appreciating like most do. He isn't impressed with what he's found nine years later. "You're even shorter than I thought you'd be," he says, and his gaze leaves Loki entirely, shifting to the pictures atop the mantelpiece, mostly of a younger Thor grinning and Odin many eras ago when he was less gray. "Besides that, you're identical to him. Your mother's to blame for your height."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"It's neither a compliment nor an insult, but the words are an icy sting across the face.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Nál is Laufey in the ways that mattered, including the militaresque azure suit and slicked hair.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""When I left you in her care, I had faith that she would see to you making it safely to adulthood. She'd done a satisfactory job in the seven years Laufey was scarcely around. It's taken her nine years, but she's proven me misinformed." Nál stares him in the eye, pinning him there. "Laufey and I didn't often talk, but he told me that he trusted I would be a proper stand-in in the event his… activities killed him. I never wanted children, but I knew my responsibility."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He doesn't have any responsibility. Laufey had none except occasionally stay home to correct whatever faults Loki had developed in his extensive absences, and when Loki had virtually none, he couldn't be bothered with him beyond contemptuous gazes when they encountered each other.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""Laufey is dead, and the dead cannot defend themselves, but Laufey was self-involved and distracted. Farbauti is self-involved and distracted too which made them quite the terrible pair. As his younger brother, I learned from his mistakes." Nál takes a leisurely step forward. "You were involved in a fight, I'm told. You look alright."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He should respond.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I am, and it wasn't a fight. There was chlorine gas released, so I was decontaminated because I was close to it. I wasn't directly exposure."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""SHIELD hasn't changed one bit, has it? You SHIELD students always get involved in petty fights and resort to extremes whereas at HYDRA, our fights were resolved without fanfare. Farbauti listened to that Odin and sent you there. I should've stopped her when the paperwork came across my desk, but Syria and Iraq have taken up much of my time."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His mother doesn't talk about it, so Loki doesn't either. Laufey, like the grandfather Loki's never met, didn't make his living warming a seat in an executive office. He doled out bullets to one side and guns to another, and if there were grenades left, he'd give them to the third side. His life was violence.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"No one's ever told him specifics, but it's not difficult to conclude that his death was as well.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The casket had remained closed the entire time.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I'm not at all impressed that you're excelling in all of your classes. SHIELD's rigor was always less than HYDRA's. Even with Howard Stark and Nathaniel Richards among their ranks, they flailed. Laufey never valued raw knowledge. He valued cunning. I value both."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"How large his hands were, rearing up and coming down to snatch Loki by the arm and throw him to the carpet. He'd stood there, grasping the book by only its cover, destroying its binding, and told him that trees and grass and flowers were worthless to him and so they were to Loki.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His mother had told him to be gone by morning.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Nál stares through him. "Your step-brother, what do you make of him?"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""He's all looks," Loki says. "Harmless."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""But it's endearing. It's how Odin's family is. It'd destroy Laufey to see his son living with not only Odin's son but Odin himself. Your mother hated him far more than I thought she did."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"She loved Laufey, but everyone hated him, her included. Loki can't remember a time when the two of them were together and he wasn't finding some way to belittle her and her "pet profession."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Nál's eyes flit to the cream curtains, the yellow light coloring his colorless complexion. The sharp edges of his jaw, nose, cheekbones, Loki could reach up and feel them on his own face. He could take a lock of his hair between his fingers and it would be the same black as Nál's, not darker like it is his mother's. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"If it weren't for the memories, he'd call Nál a liar. He'd call him Laufey.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"A cool draft follows Nál as Loki falls into his towering shadow. "As much as I prefer Gothenburg, as long as you remain in New York City, I will have to as well now that Farbauti has forced my hand." He steps out into the sunlight. "I will be in contact."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki teeters on the door sill, Nál getting into the awaiting car. He was here before, in the winter air watching the car drive away.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"His uncle is moving to New York City for him.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Laufey wouldn't do that.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"He glances at the ceiling and hears nothing.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"On his toes, he shoves himself into clothes and takes a cab to Columbus Circle.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"The crowds of people there grumble under their blankets and layers of clothes when he tells them to move out of his way, and the bearded officer stood outside of 25 Columbus Circle silently steps aside when Loki mentions the Storm name and his SHIELD affiliation. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Susan tilts her head to the side, blonde hair falling dangling over her shoulder. "Rogers has the magic touch after all. Come on in. We're all getting ready for the parade to start, and the view up here is to die for."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Greetings are cocked chins and "Loki"s in half-tired tones, a one-armed hug and drawn out shout of his name from a grinning Johnny, and Loki digs his hands impossibly deeper into the linings of his jacket pockets at the near dozen sets of teeth all flashed in his direction from the group of them gathered at the floor to ceiling windows.span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Steve lifts one of his arms swaddled in red sweater and claps Loki around the back. "Ah, I convinced you," he says, and his smile falters. "You look like you've seen ghost."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;""I may have."span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"Loki remains tensed on the sofa beside Bucky, fingers drumming his stomach inside his pockets. Surrounded by people that he's gotten to know over the past two months solely by their pursuit to ensure he does, Nál is almost a dream again, an art of Loki's imagination, a swipe of azure on a white canvas topped with a stroke of black. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The sluggish beat of his heart however is proof.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony's shoulder presses into Loki's as they behold the passing floats flights below, Tony pointing them out and giving the full backstory with the delight of a toddler.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""He's from Sweden, not Antarctica," Pepper says, but Tony scoffs and continues.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The annoyance is almost welcome.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Did you manage to see Bruce yesterday?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Below, some boy band that Susan and a lot of the other girls know of, have lost the interest of most machismo males around and Tony Stark.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Nah. SHIELD had their guards and some guys from the NYPD there, and they told me and Jones to fuck off. We waited around for a while before we tried again, but went the way of asking the staff. They said Bruce got transferred like hours ago, so we were just sitting there for no reason. SHIELD continues to be dicks."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""He's coming back after the New Year," Loki tells Stark's grimacing face. "They mentioned rehab."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, top in mental health care and all that. Nothing to brag about. They've got a few billion dollar endowment and the best equipment in the world discounted from yours truly and company. They can drop a few hundred thousand to get one of their smartest students right in the Swiss Alps."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Mrs. Storm and Dr. Storm are all smiles when they surface from the parade below, oddly similar to Johnny and Susan, and Dr. Storm squints at him as they shake hands as if he's seen his face before.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You went to SHIELD?" Loki asks, and Dr. Storm replies that he did. Loki doesn't ease that niggling suspicion he knows Dr. Storm has and allows Tony to take him by the crook of the elbow and lead him into the kitchen to collect one of the steaming hot chocolates Mrs. Storm hands out.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He very nearly collides with Thor but pivots on his heel in time to twist himself out of the way.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor looks more surprised to see him than anyone else did. "Loki, I—everyone told me you weren't coming."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The hot chocolate is as rich as dark chocolate itself. Loki licks his lips and purses them. "I wasn't."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor, I'll just get you one," Robert says over his shoulder. He winks at Loki.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor stands there stupidly, lips alternating between closing and parting as he tries to come up with an explanation for whatever he feels the need to explain, something that likely requires no explanation at all. He's had 12 hours to get over whatever he realized is bothering him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki hasn't actually realized anything, but it bothers him nonetheless.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""A bunch of us from the football team are going to the Jets-Patriots game later. Warren Worthington's dad—I don't know if you know him—has a luxury box at the MetLife Stadium, so if you wanted come, you could."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I hate American 'football.'"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You haven't even seen a football game, Loki." He doesn't know that though it is technically—the most flimsy of ways—true. "It's fairly analytical, so when you have seen it and understand it, you'll enjoy it."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You said 'Patriots' as in Tom Brady, yes?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor cracks a smile and nods. "How do you-?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""He was in a magazine a friend of mine hung on her wall." Loki sips his hot chocolate. "When I tell her next summer, she will froth at the mouth in jealousy."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Good. I guess he's alright though he's not my, um, type. He's a great quarterback," and Loki thanks Robert with a small smile when he hands Thor his hot chocolate and shuts him up. He could've stopped after specifying Tom Brady wasn't his cup of tea or not said that at all and only talked about his aptitude as a "quarterback."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor has a type, and tall, muscled blond men with blue eyes and dimpled chins under scruff do not fit into it. Tall, lean boys with snow white skin and green eyes however do, which Loki obviously didn't know after having sex with Thor several times.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"All of them save for Johnny and Susan vacate the Storm apartment and go their own ways, Thor telling Luke and Robert that he'll see them later rather than fulfilling whatever plans he'd made with them that were intended to keep him away from home until dinner.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor takes him by the hand and leads him across the crosswalk, calluses at the pads of his palm and fingers tickling the corresponding spots on Loki's, and when they're across, Thor doesn't let go.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He should plant his feet on the smashed, dirtied gum and leftover confetti and with wide, incredulous eyes, gesture to their intertwined hands until Thor finds some semblance of self-awareness and releases him and apologizes, but a glimpse of a car resembling the white luxury car Nál drove off in keeps his eyes forward and hand in Thor's.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The amused, gushing glances they get set Loki's teeth on edge, and he tightens his grip on Thor's hand as punishment. Pointless given Thor's strength but no less satisfying.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor isn't stupid enough to keep holding his hand when they reach their street but elects to touch Loki's shoulder. Loki allows him that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The scent of food, meats, casseroles, pastas, pies, breads, slithers through his sinuses and hits his palate, and the commotion of pots and pans clinking and clanging and his mother shouting in Swedish and Odin replying calmly in English drifts to him as he shrugs off his jacket.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's domestic in a way Loki's life hasn't been since his the last birthday his mother celebrating with Laufey alive, his aunts doting on him with their overlarge smiles and sparse clothes and Laufey keeping his discontent to a minimum in exchange for cake and silence.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother who chides him for white lies failed to mention that his uncle was alive and well and cared about him far more than Laufey had. She managed to transfer every object in Loki's room in Stockholm to his room here in nearly the exact same position, forgot nothing in his bedroom but forgot the only connection he has with his father's side of the family.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She laughs happy and loud under Odin's charms, happy in this life she made for herself by putting Loki's below hers.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Any obligation—any—he may have had as her son have ceased to exist, ceased to exist when Nál darkened their new doorstep.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He keeps on the façade as a boy satisfied as he slices away at the small feast his mother insisted he put on his plate and keeps his mouth occupied with chewing to offer anything to the joyous conversation except a nod here and a nod there. p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He kept Nál from him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He'll keep Nál from her.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"In his pearl white Range Rover, Loki meets Warren Worthington yet another charming conventionally attractive blond boy who smiles a lot and tells him that he's heard how "tall and smart" Loki is from a lot of people.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor, he loves you," Warren says. "I could write a biography about you from what he's told me, and it'd be filled with how great he thinks you are. Scott's always talking about I'm bad when I'm into a girl, but your brother, he's got me beat."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Which never happens," Scott turns to say. "I like Alex and Gabe but not that much. I think Thor's obsessed."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I don't talk about Loki that much—"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Scott stares at him behind his red lenses, brow dropped, and turns around.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You should honestly get a girlfriend, Thor," Warren says. "It's amazing…"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor rubs his thumb on the notches of Loki's spine until Loki deems it unacceptable and swats his hand away. What does Thor want with all of this touching that can go nowhere? If it's simply the restlessness of no sex in a day, he can only blame himself for that bout of staggering stupidity yesterday.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Faces that've only passed by him the in hallway and that've been daily appearances in his classes gather in a small crowd under the darkening sky, SHIELD Eagles sweatshirts in navy and gray flaunting their school for the civilians.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Their school spirit is sickening.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""This should be funny stuff," Luke says, cocking his chin at Loki. "Thor trying to have his cake and eat it too. Got to give you props, dude."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor answers Loki's quizzical look with and shrug and a sly attempt at putting his arm around Loki's shoulder. It's warm, extraordinary and comfortably so, so Loki lets Thor keep it there for a few steps before escaping to Robert's side to strike up conversation about how his Thanksgiving feast went.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""It's called a touchdown, alright, so don't scream goal when everyone starts shouting," Ben tells him as they file inside of the door designated "Worthington Labs." "The colored lines at the end of the field are the end zones too. It's a touchdown when the player runs into the end zone and retains possession of the ball without droppin' it."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki sits in the first row beside Teddy Altman who lounges back and texts with one hand while tossing popcorn into his mouth with the other. He's surprised when Eddy Brock from his Chemical and Physical Biology class sits on his other side and slightly… ambivalent about it not being Thor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Get up."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He scoffs up at Thor standing there looking far too expectant. "There are other chairs, Thor. This one is mine."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm not telling you to find another chair. I'm telling you to get up, so I can sit down, and you can then sit back down."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki considers Thor's demands, considers pilfering a handful of popcorn from Altman's bowl and tossing it at Thor simply to see the shock on his face at being disobeyed. His primal brain sees the possibilities in the darkness the room's now covered in, and Loki's standing.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor falls into the chair with a smirk and pats his thigh. "Come and sit."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He drops hard onto Thor's lap, and Thor curses under his breath as Loki shifts his ass to find the right spot on the meat of Thor's thighs. His ass settles on Thor's crotch, and Thor takes the opportunity to cradle his hips.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's fingers press hot to the skin between his waistband and shirt.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"For all the screaming in the first 15 minutes of the game, there are none of those touchdowns Ben talked about though Loki leans forward and quickly learns the rules of this pedestrian game, Tom Brady, woefully hidden by his helmet, throws the ball to another teammate with the intention of said team mate either running to get a touchdown or decrease the space between himself and the touchdown area.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Not extraordinarily worthy of analysis however intriguing it is when the first touchdown occurs.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Jets are shit! Jets are shit!" Johnny appears to bump fists with Thor and stupidly holds out a hand that Loki simply stares at before Eddy takes pity on him. His sentiments are shared as the chant spreads across the room, and erupts yet again at the next touchdown.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor embraces him around the waist, and his excitement becomes more pronounced, pressed against Loki's ass.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's almost a parody of masculinity, Thor with his hard-on and Loki in his lap, splitting a hamburger from Scott's younger brother Gabriel and eating it with one hand while holding Loki with the other.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's charm can only blunt the annoyance of his absurdity so much.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Adam Warlock stands with crossed arms and glances briefly at Loki in acknowledgement.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's watching in Loki's periphery.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"They talk about Organic Chemistry while the lot of them, SHIELD Eagstronglstronges' hulks of players, scream at the men beyond the glass and cheer for the multitude of touchdowns that go Tom Brady and team's way./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"There's the Patriot's win and celebratory beers courtesies of money and reputation trumping the law—oh how Laufey used to repeat that to Loki—and Ben happily hands him an open beer bottle, clapping him on the shoulder and deeming him a new convert.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He merely lifts his brow and replies, "If you think so." He's not particularly sad he missed their football season, winning streak or not.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You don't have to drink that," Thor says, pointing around his own beer at Loki's.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He doesn't have to but eyes, lighter than Thor's and lacking the warmth, stare through him if he blinks, so he tilts back the bottle and its slips over his tongue, earthy and creamy.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's brow furrows, and Loki wishes he would stop thinking. "Are you alright?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"People have asked that so often in the past two days, in the past two months, that it's lost virtually any meaning.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Fine."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"If he were fine, he probably wouldn't let Thor intertwine their hands together for the second time since this morning—and Nál—and he definitely wouldn't relax under the rub of Thor's thumb on the back of his.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's that unknown, that thought that he can't think. p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki reaches for his keys, and Thor kisses him, a fleeting press of the lips.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He tastes the beer on Thor and does him a favor and blames it on that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His jeans are at his ankles when Thor closes the door behind him, and he doesn't look up at him when Thor sits down beside him. When he does, stripped of everything except his underwear, he kisses Thor slow and wet and grips fistfuls of his hair.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's fingers, stuttering in the spaces between Loki's ribs, pinching and tweaking, dragging down his chest, warm him, and Loki leans forward on top of him and grips those great shoulders and meets Thor thrust for thrust, gasps for the "faster" and "harder" that he needs.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He pants on his back, tracing the swirls in the paint on the ceiling, as the damp on his skin cools and dries.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor observes him without the obliviousness of his day hours and draws his knuckles down Loki's arm, gooseflesh left in their wake. "What's bothering you?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"No one asks him that question because no one truly cares. "Are you alright?" is binary, but Thor's question has endless answers.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki only has one answer however.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""My uncle came this morning." He gives Thor his back, shifting onto his side. "He's my father's younger brother."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I didn't know you had another uncle."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother can prattle on about his aunts Fenia and Menia and his uncle Mysing, but she couldn't tell him about Nál. He didn't fit into the image of a perfect life she had in mind, so she shut him out.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I forgot," Loki says, smiling at the sheer ridiculousness. "It was like seeing Laufey again. He even sounds like him."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The bed shifts behind Loki, and Thor grabs his arm. "Loki, if he said anything bad to you, his words don't instantly mean anything because he looks like him. You barely know the man, and he has no right to make any judgments about someone who's life he's been absent from. Laufey, you don't talk about him, but I know he mistreated you. He can't do that anymore and neither can your uncle."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's odd, hearing those words in a voice that's hardly uttered a disingenuous sound.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor, he didn't say anything rude to me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He strokes Loki's arm. "Good."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Everything that he said was true. His brutal honesty doesn't have the edge Laufey's did."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Honesty should rarely be brutal."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Reality isn't as optimistic as you are."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor chuckles. "I doubt it's as pessimistic as you are either."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Silence.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Don't tell anyone."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Okay." Thor settles behind him, and it's to the soft sound of his breaths that Loki drifts off.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He wakes before Thor, and at the edge of the bed, sheets around his hips he casts a brief look over his shoulder.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's beautiful when he sleeps, and it annoys him, nearly enough to shake him awake but awake, Thor's no less gold and chiseled.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What are you boys doing these next four days?" Odin leans back in his chair and eyes them, their plates empty and only his attention keeping them seated.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's become the lesser of two parental evils in 24 hours.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Going to the library," he says as Thor replies, "Hanging out with friends."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"And that is where he and Thor differ.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor asks him if he already has enough books from SHIELD's library, and Loki slings his bag across his shoulder and gives Thor the amused look he deserves.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"No one goes to the library after Thanksgiving except those with their priorities truly sorted, and how few they are, rows upon rows of tables vacant with the occasional ducked head beside a stack of yellowed books. The quick turn of pages breaks the stillness around Loki, but he sits at his own empty table unbothered, phone silenced.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Midway through emBlaugastem, he thinks of Nál./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's a mistake that demolishes his concentration and stifles the desire to read onward.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor said that Nál didn't know enough about him to criticize him, but Nál knew a ways more than Loki knew of him, and what Loki did know was only that he'd existed somewhere in the world along with the other paternal family members Loki's never met.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emBlaugastem is pushed aside to make space for his laptop, and Loki tilts the screen just so as to not provide fodder for any voyeuristic eyes, present or future./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He nearly freezes at Nál's eyes, as cold in image as in person, trained on the camera, reflecting the tight-lipped smile that surely disappeared after the flash as Laufey's did, brief moments of genuine happiness they allow to seep through their shells.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál was born in 1976, three years later than Laufey, educated at Yale University and Wharton. Everything that Laufey was at their avaricious arms—and aviation of course—corporation, he is: chairman, president, CEO, and does the world over, business and government alike, praise him for it.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"If only Loki had taken interest in the stock market's goings on because Nál is a click of the finger away, same smile as that from his portrait and the photographs that Laufey had of himself in his office on his face as he shakes the hand of Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on the front page of emForbesem. A week ago, they completed a billion dollar agreement for more guns which is just what the world needs./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother is no pacifist. She may work in hydraulic engineering, theoretically for the betterment of society, but she married a man who'd punch out and scream rather than calmly talk it out, who disappeared for weeks on end to do "business," which even at his young age, Loki had a good idea of what, that dealt in body counts.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Her decision was pure selfishness, ironic with how she'd chide Loki on his preference of not sharing. She blamed Laufey, but she is just at fault, if not more so.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Enjoy your books?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki pauses in the living room doorway where Thor, Clint, Steve, and Bucky gather around the moved coffee table, playing cards in their hands and across the glass. "Yes. I did."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""We'd offer you to come and join the game but I don't wanna kick your ass and get your brother mad," Bucky says, grinning lop-sided. "Besides, Steve's too innocent to see that."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You talk too much when you're losing, Buck."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""The game shouldn't take much longer, so if you want to, you can play the next time," Thor says. "If you don't know how to play, I could teach you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother's ponytail tosses behind her head as she turns from the refrigerator toward the stove, Loki unnoticed.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Not interested."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor asks him what Nál does for a living, and Loki tells him that he manufactures planes.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor hates him as is over something that didn't happen. Telling him that Nál gives others the means to kill people, though Loki is no bleeding-heart, admittedly disadvantaged and undeserving people would only trigger a righteous rant he would embark on upon meeting Nál.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"If that ever will happen.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"There's a knock beneath Loki's music as he lies in bed, and with his ear buds dangling around his neck, he opens the door to Odin taking up far too much space far too close to Loki's sanctuary.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yes?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Odin produces from behind his back in that way old men do to young children a green package. "You've got mail," he says, irritatingly cheerful, and Loki takes it from him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"emSigyn Iwaldadóttirem/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"When she said she would send letters, her voice was quite serious, but Loki warned her off-tried to—that it was far too old-fashioned, that she was better off calling him like any other functioning member of 21supstsup century society. She never acknowledged his words in retrospect./p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thank you," he murmurs, closing the door.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Apples, golden delicious apples and jasmine wafts from the letter inside covered in glittering gold pen and loopy writing as were all of Sigyn's dutifully collected class notes. She loathed that he'd never needed them and warned that things would change here.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki hasn't taken a single note yet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'Loki Dearest,em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em I told you that I was going to write. If you wanted to talk over the phone, you should have called me which you haven't. I emailed you too, but none of those have been answered because you hate everyone (except me, Alexander Skarsgard, 90s Brad Pitt) and don't bother checking it. You could have texted me too, but I might have ignored that because only a terrible best friend would text their best friend who's a million miles away. You're not a terrible best friend now, are you? Clearly, I'm not.em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em Have I told you how amazing university is? No, of course, I haven't because you haven't called me like you said I should (you should be calling since it's your idea, Loki) or replied to any of my emails. It's so great not having to do ememspan lang="EN-GB"maths/span! And we're learning about garment construction and you'd be amazed at how much there is to learn about a button down shirt. You're always saying that every art can be studied like a science, and I'm always saying this, but you're right./em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em What's school like? Have you met any hot American boys (like my future husbands Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio)? Have you had sex with any of them (American government, if you're reading this, don't judge me) and how was it (all the details, Loki!) I know you haven't found anyone as beautiful and amazing as me there, but I hope you've found people you don't completely hate. You like being alone, but you like having people there to listen too, and since you haven't called me (you, Loki, you!) I hope you've found a stand-in.em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em Also, check your emails, you ass.em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em I sent you a care package out of the kindness of my heart. You will like it!em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em Sigyn 3'em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Marabou and Kex chocolate, Tutti Frutti, and Ligonberry Jam, it's as if Sigyn walked out of ICA with sugar cravings. Not a rare occurrence when they would walk through Stockholm after school and she spotted someone with something sweet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Sigyn smiles bright, her tresses a waterfall of blonde over Loki's shoulder and arms wrapped around his. She was on her toes in her heels to get in frame as Freya told them that she would get one last picture of them together, authoritative and collected.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's smiling too, one of his genuine smiles with a hint of teeth, and holds her around her shoulders.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His hair only reached his collarbone then, what seems like ages ago but wasn't.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"On the back of the frame in gold marker: emTold you I'd get it framed! Look how gorgeous we look :-*em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Sigyn's vanity has always been founded.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"On his desk, among the fjords and Amsterdam and Malmo, he sets him and Sigyn, and it fits.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"They've always fit.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother mentions the package at dinner, and Loki only replies, "Mhm."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He remains silent the rest of the time, and slowly any pretense of being happy empties from her eyes.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It satisfies him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Stark calls him whilst Loki's typing out a reply to one of the dozens plus emails Sigyn's flooded his inbox with and tells him rather than asks that they, meaning Loki in addition to others, have plans. "Be ready by 8:30 tonight."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""'We,' I don't think you know what that means."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""'We,' meaning me and you, Steve, Barton, Natasha, and Thor. Pepper is in Seattle with family, Rhodey's total radio silence, and Barnes has something with S. Carter. Don't say you have plans and that it's a date because I know you don't have a date. I asked Thor."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki sends the email. "And how would Thor know?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor just knows things about you, alright? I don't ask. He doesn't tell. Not planning on repealing that any time soon."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What are 'we' doing?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Wear white!" and Stark hangs up.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki isn't told what to do—Stark told very little however—without warning and expected to follow.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony Stark is not as funny as he thinks he is and extraordinarily irritating in doses longer than 40 minutes, but Tony Stark is a genius of the Victor von Doom caliber. He knows this. It's likely that he wears those rose-tinted sunglasses of his inside, so he can observe unnoticed and store away what he finds in his mental catalogue.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His defense mechanism, that "I don't give a fuck" attitude he parrots about when criticized by Steve, works in his favor this time because Howard Stark, wherever he may be, wasn't so different from Laufey.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's not empathy. It's understanding.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor informs their parents of their plans, and Loki's mother tells him it's good to see more of New York City. "You love to broaden your horizons, Loki, and there are so many opportunities here."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His uncle was one of those opportunities yet where was any mention of him?p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Mr. Laufeyson, Mr. Odinson, it's a pleasure to see you again," Jarvis says from the driver's seat in Stark's own copy of that large black truck from American action movies.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Where's your white?" Tony shout at him as Loki exchanges a look with Steve. "Okay, okay, you've got teeth and eyes. Everything's fine. Everyone calm down."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Everyone was rather calm except for you, Master Stark."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Psh, Jarv, I'm calm." He lifts his eyebrows at Thor, but not even Thor's generous enough to be party to his foolishness. He has enough pride to turn around, "Okay, whatever. So, you guys excited to see what Tony Stark has gifted you with tonight? When you see, you'll shit your parents. Thor, you're going to like this, buddy. Trust me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I feel it would be naïve to do that," Thor says, and Loki chuckles.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Barton slings his arms on the back of their seat. "Even Thor knows about you, man. The jig is up."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""But this—come on, trust me, okay? Trust me!"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"What Stark wanted trust for is "Bowlmor Lanes," an aptly named bowling alley.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Large screens, fluorescent lights, loud music, food wafting in the air, it's the proudly American rendition.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Night strike," Tony says, smiling proudly with his arms outstretched. "Bet you don't have that in the land of free healthcare and meatballs."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Glow in the dark bowling is your idea of an emergency," Natasha says. "I'm not surprised."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""If you told me that, I would've went all out." Clint points to his white sweatshirt. "You've gotta trust us before we can trust you, Stark. We could've handled the truth."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Stark thrusts a hand in Loki's direction and shouts, "But he can't handle the truth! I'm a fair man, Barton. I am, aren't I, J?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Jarvis purses his lips. "95% of the time, Master Stark."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's arm has become so ubiquitous around Loki's shoulders that he barely notices it, only the sudden surge of warmth in his back.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"SHIELD students, dozens of them, horde around the counter.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hey, everyone's here," Tony shouts with cupped hands, and too many eyes look in their direction, eyes of which many curiously train on Loki. "Welcome to the first SHIELD night strike night, organized by yours truly and the guy who reminds me to eat, Jarvis. Can we get some applause?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Many applaud. Most applaud, Thor included, clapping around Loki as if he's some obstacle.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Jarv and I already have the teams of seven checked in with the only change being, you know, Bruce not being in any shape to make it and Rhodey and Pepper both being busy, so Jarvis is going to be on our team."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Without any pre-planning, there's a moment of silence, and Loki glances around at all the momentarily solemn expressions.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"How sentimental of them.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Team 1's me, Steve, Thor, Loki, Natasha, Barton, and Jarvis. Team 2's Parker, Osborn, Mary Jane, Stacy, Grimm—Richards being a shut in finally helps—Storm, and Sue, Team 3's Summers, Grey, Kitty, Bobby, LeBeau, and Anna Marie. Team 4's Quill"—and Tony's eyes of course flit to him because he is an idiot who doesn't listen—"Rocket, Grover, Gamora, Arthur, Adam"—his eyes yet again—"and Carol. Lane 2 and down, get your asses shoes and let's go." p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He exchanges his boots for striped leather shoes that have no grip in the sole.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hey, you." A short boy—shorter than Stark—who looks to have been through a wind turbine, gray, black, and brown hair stuck up and back, stands over Loki, arms crossed,p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The boy beside him is perhaps the tallest and lankiest Loki has ever seen.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm Rocket Mika and he's Grover. People won't stop yapping about you. Wanted to see what the big deal was."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki stands and towers over Rocket. "And have you seen it?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Eh, it's nothing special." He cocks his chin. "Get ready to get your ass kicked, American style. Grover, come on."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Grover inclines his head at him, and Loki returns the gesture.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Interesting kid," Natasha says, seated in their area. "I see things are going alright with him. Wednesday seems to have changed things."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He very nearly makes the mistake of thinking she's talking about Rocket.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He glances to where Thor, Warren, and Ben talk. "It almost did, but Thor's smarter than I thought he was."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She cocks an eyebrow. "You don't sound so sure of that."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You sound like Sigyn."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Who?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Clint leaps out of seemingly nowhere, multi-colored candy hanging from his lips. "We ready to get this shit started?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"As if on cue, "We Will Rock You" erupts, and Stark mimicking punches saunters over. Steve, shaking his head and grinning, joins them, and Thor jogs to them, explaining himself when no explanation was asked for.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony picks up his bowling ball with the flourish and holds it out to Steve and tells him, "Kiss it for luck."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Steve merely blinks. "Where's Emma?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony drops the ball, balking. "These aren't the kind of balls Emma Frost handles, alright?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Barton snorts and Thor's brow rises.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Don't be a jackass, Tony. You could say the same things about you, all the girls you're with."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"And Stark has the nerve to look offended. Loki cannot contain his eye roll. "Steve, don't hate the player, hate the game," he says, and in Starkian fashion, pivots on his heel and runs up to the lane.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He gets nine.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Power of the Tony Stark touch, baby." He tries to run his hand over Steve's hair, but Steve ducks his hand, bowling ball in hand. "I'd like to see you chumps beat that."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Steve has the finesse of a baby deer as he releases the ball.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Steve gets nine too.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That's my Steve," Tony shouts, and two lanes away, Jean gets a strike.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki grabs a ball, and Thor's sitting beside Clint, smirking and watching him. Perhaps it's why he struts up to the line with more sway in his hips than necessary.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Just try your best," Clint says. "We'll only laugh a little bit."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, aim the ball in the general direction of the pins, and you're cool," adds Tony.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor chuckles, low in his chest.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki has bowled before. Unlike football, basic analysis can be done on bowling.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He steps to the left, in that perfect angle to hit the right spot, and Loki turns around to face their amused faces, ball at his side.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hey, might want to try turning around," Stark says.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki drops the ball and walks forward.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Their confused faces are a sight to see, the arch of eyebrows and creasing of brows, bemused curves of lips.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He turns just before the ball hits, and the pins go down one then three then ten. He grins because he likely wouldn't be able to contain it if he tried.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony jumps to his feet and Barton's close behind.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Oh, Mischief, you tricky son of a bitch! You didn't say you bowled!"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor blinks at him in confusion, and Loki brushes past him, wishing him luck.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor may get himself a spare, but it isn't Loki's strike.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You never mentioned you bowled," he murmurs as he sits, and Loki shrugs.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You never asked."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Clint celebrates his own strike by running the length of the lanes, somehow not slipping in the process, and Natasha is ever so cool about her spare. Jarvis dusts off his slacks and throws a strike and Tony shouts that Jarvis is a terrible teacher.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"When he stands, "You won't get a strike again," Thor tells him, and so Loki says, over the music so that everyone hears, "Thor said I wouldn't get another strike."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The sound of ten pins falling over has never been so sweet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The sound of Thor scoffing as Loki gets frame after frame of X's has never been so sweet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""When I win, I want something," he says, and Thor rolls his eyes, grabbing the ball from the return as if it weighs nothing.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Clint and Jarvis also keep getting strikes, Loki."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""When I win between the two of us, Thor." He touches Thor's shoulder. "For consolation—"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki, hey, this is Peter Quill," Tony says. "Peter Quill this is Loki."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor moves Loki out of his way.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Peter Quill is a rugged boy in a leather jacket looking Loki over without any shame. "Hey, Loki, nice to, uh, finally meet you. Tony's been telling me a lot about you. Says that you're-"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Looking for someone to have sex with?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony holds up his hands. "You said it, not me." The idiot walks away, holding two thumbs up to Loki.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""No, I mean—yeah. Something like that. Usually I'm into girls, but I'll admit you're—I'll try anything once, and so far, that's been going pretty well for me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Never has he been so blatantly propositioned except for Skurge's initial, "You're gay, and I'm into that and you," in the middle of the hallway.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm sure you know that Tony Stark is a meddling idiot, so most of what he said was probably conjured in that mess of a mind of his." Loki inhales. "I'm glad to meet you too, but I'm not interested."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""At the moment," Peter says, pointing at him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Carol Danvers yells for Peter to take his turn.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Well, change your mind, come find me. Like I said, open for anything."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony Stark will learn and heed Loki's words.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He turns, and Thor's standing there, irritation replaced by something else, something serious. "You got your second strike. Congratulations."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You and Peter Quill?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You were there at lunch. Tony believes that I'm not having sex, so it's his duty to ensure that I am. I clarified things with Peter like I will likely have to clarify things with Adam Warlock if I don't pull aside Tony in time."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor crosses his arms, muscles flexing in his shirt sleeves. "You're getting more than enough sex."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Stark would die from fright if he were where Loki was.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Tell Tony Stark that."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor claps his shoulder, looking somewhere behind Loki. "I will."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He laughs, oh gods does he laugh at the sight of Thor with a hand on Tony's shoulder, gaze penetrating, speaking through his teeth what Loki can only guess are without his usual kindness, and Tony continuously nodding with eyes like saucers. It serves him right for defying Loki, and not only does he know now that Loki isn't to be trifled with, he knows that he will have to answer to Thor as well.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony glares at him as he rushes by.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He throws the ball into the gutter.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's stubble brushes the shell of Loki's ear. "Maybe he'll turn his matchmaking attentions to his own love life now that he won't have yours to interfere with."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His face is colored bright red and green with the lights, eyes alight in different shades of blue. His lips are full and dry, and Loki wants to wet them with his.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki swallows and turns away.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He and Natasha briefly lock eyes.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Last frame!"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Three strikes in a row, and Thor applauds him slowly, smiling that smile of his.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You really ought to teach me how you do that," he says. "That was—you're amazing."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I know, and if you're extremely luck, I might show you my secret."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"They win to the discontent of everyone else who declare that Jarvis gave them an unfair advantage because of his 10 frame streak of strikes—Loki's being oddly looked over and Clint's a fluke of nature itself—and the jealousy is delicious.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Nice year we'll have a new group without the seniors this year, and you can all try again against Team Stark. Thanks for coming. And see your asses at SHIELD."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"In the semi-darkness of Loki's room and with their jeans shoved to their ankles, Thor pins him against the wall and rubs against him, hands hard on Loki's hips and holding him there secure.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"They strip their jeans and sticky underwear off and fall into Loki's bed, and Loki's trembling too much, eyes too tired to think too hard on it.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You boys have fun?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, we did."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Odin's satisfied.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The empty seat next to him in Organic Chemistry bothers him far more than it should, and Erik glances at him several times throughout the period as if he can see the thoughts in Loki's head, the replaying snippets of last Tuesday where Bruce was not the Bruce Loki's known.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Bruce has been in my thoughts as well," Charles says, mug not in his hand in one of the rare moments. "While he may be quiet, he leaves a space in SHIELD that can only be filed by him."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"It's trite but so are Charles' geriatric sweaters. What else can be expected from the man?p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I do hope that Bruce gets the help he needs," Thor says as he holds open the cab door for Loki. "That's the only thing we can all do right now."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The strange show of awareness from Thor somehow—somehow—proves to have more effect than anything anyone else bothered to tell him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The halo effect at work.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother asks if they've heard any news about Bruce as Loki gets a water from the refrigerator, and Loki replies, "Nope," and escapes her presence, traitorous and untrustworthy it is.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Her eyes follow him out of the dining room.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor lets him finish the rest of a chapter before grabbing the book from his hands and kissing him. For his manners, Loki doesn't accidentally unsheathe his teeth from his lips to see Thor squirm and jolt.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I have a soccer game tonight," Thor says, morning tea in his hand.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki swallows his spoonful of oatmeal. "And I have to be productive tonight."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor gives him a disbelieving look. "You're always having a productive night."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yes, you make sure of that." He licks his spoon clean, smirking.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Which is one of the many reasons you should come. We're great if you didn't know that, and you haven't seen me in my uniform."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I've seen you out of it, and I don't think anything gets much better than that."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki…"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"There's a hard knock at the door.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki's heart trips over itself as he sets aside his bowl and moves to answer it.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Only one person knocks likely for the satisfaction of disobeying the suggestion the doorbell is.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál, in his azure trench coat and white riding boots, is no less Laufey than he was. "Good morning, Loki. Get your belongings. I'm driving you to school."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He opens his mouth to reply with the affirmative, but Thor beats him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You're Loki's uncle, right?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The face that Nál makes, corners of his mouth pulled back, eyebrows raised, is one he's made more times than he could possibly count. "I am. Nál Bergelmisson. You're Thor Odinson, Odin's heir and my nephew's… step-brother." Nál steps down a stair. "I suppose you could come along. You do go to SHIELD as well."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's four years old again, and Laufey's at the bottom of the stairs, calling up to him to grab what he needs—"and only what you need."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""He's so tall," Thor whispers, on Loki's heels. If it were anyone else, the emwhy aren't youem would be implied./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor halts in front of him, and Loki has to steady himself with hands on his back to not fall onto his ass on the stairs. He's far too fascinated with the ice blue chrome Rolls Royce Phantom—Laufey's favored car—to catch the glare Loki aims at his back. "This is fucking incredible."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I agree."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki gets into the passenger side, the leather frigid through his clothes.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's waxing romantic about the car he left in Sweden as he and Nál get into the car, and Nál appears to actually be listening rather than entertaining Thor's car mania.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You should learn to drive." Nál's eyes are ahead, but Loki has his full attention. "You won't be in New York City forever. For less than two years more before you go to an Ivy League, and you won't be going to Columbia."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What college did you go to?" Thor asks.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Yale and Wharton.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I went to Yale University. Laufey went to Oxford. Are you going to continue the Cambridge tradition?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor exhales. "Hopefully. If not, ten schools are offering full, and I applied to Princeton and Harvard as well."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor didn't tell him any of that. He told him, "I'm unsure. I've only now started sending applications," to be exact, and nowhere did he mention scholarships for his astounding athleticism because though he didn't say it, it's quite clear that's what they're for.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"America loves their ball-throwing hulks.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál's watching him, the red stoplight reflecting off the car's bonnet. "Hm, well, I'm sure that will work out for you." He looks away, and Loki can breathe again. "It's worrying that if you'd have taken any interest in the business world, you would have known who I was and perhaps sought me out. Though you are only 16. You have many years until you attend business school if you waste time."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"'Waste time.' Is obtaining an education, an accelerated education, at a normal pace truly wasting time? School counsellors have slid their own projections of Loki's abilities across desks, circling in red marker dates that weren't far off for him to finish if he simply ran ahead of the others. He was not a skin-covered machine with adjustable settings, press the green button for smart and red for genius.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother would rub his shoulders and in a tone so piteous tell him, "emMin lilla jotnar, emit's ultimately your choice, and what emwe/em think doesn't matter."/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki was smart, smarter than the smartest student in the highest grade, than the smartest teacher, but Loki was smart and surrounded by peers who'd traded their dirt-ridden faces for pimples and cysts.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"They stop in front of SHIELD among the sea of yellow taxi cabs, and Thor, hand on the shoulder of Loki's seat, thanks Nál and wishes him a nice day, complimenting his car before shutting the door.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He slaps hands with an unknown face and smiles ignite in his path. Mr. Universe himself.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Your grandfather will be unhappy that his chances of great-grandchildren have decreased." Nál makes an amused noise. "Your step-brother is objectively attractive and I suppose his behind is too."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Who wouldn't watch Thor's ass?p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Enter your number."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Laufey wouldn't have trusted him to look at his phone let alone hold it.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Though the dialer is already selected, Loki briefly taps to the home screen, the background the sword of ice logo he encountered on the internet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál doesn't mention Loki's foray when he tucks his phone into his coat.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki steps out but keeps the door open. "Where are you staying?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm renting penthouse in the Financial District. It's close to our headquarters. You will like the view," he says. "I'll be in contact, Loki. Enjoy your day at SHIELD."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"How his voice drips with sarcasm.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The small gathering on the stairs and sidewalk disperse now that Nál's driven off.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Stark tilts his sunglasses back onto his eyes. "Loki, who was that because I need to shake that guy's hand for pulling off that paintjob on that car? I think he might be the one who gets me. I get my Audi cherry red, and people say I'm looking for attention. A man like that understands the need for something damned good and eye-catching." p  
>p class="MsoNormal""He's my uncle."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Uncle?" And Tony's lips curve into an O that bring Loki pause in SHIELD's lobby. "You mean the weapons guy. Alright, yeah, I know him. Well, of him. Saw his name in your file when I took a little peek with my gray hat on, remember? I was there, so I figured, what the hell, I should get to know my friends."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That's not how information sharing in friendships is supposed to work, Stark."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Like our friendship is normal."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Stark has a point in one of the rare moments, but Loki is not so foolish to outright tell him such and rewards Stark by not pointing out that their friendship isn't normal mainly because of Tony Stark's involvement.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""If you knew of my uncle and his… dealings, why didn't you mention it when I didn't?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Because if you're not talking about something like that, there's a 99.9% chance you've got a good reason. I respect that. If you said something, hey, maybe then I'd go all seven degrees of Kevin Bacon on you. But that's cool though. Your dad's brother's associate's son is me." Tony clasps his hands together, heel to finger. "Me and you, we were destined."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""As if you believe in destiny."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Alright, you caught me, but you get the idea."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál's "iced out roller," as dubbed by Wade Wilson, is the talk of the day, and Charles, always caught up on the gossip, tells Loki he understands where his "flair for the dramatic" stems from.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki isn't dramatic.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The others may titter when he tells Charles as much, but them and their plans, one plan that nearly ruined Loki's date, have little room to discuss whether Loki is dramatic or not.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I understand your confusion," Thor says after the bell dismisses them from Earth Science. "He looks like he should be your father though when he opened his mouth I was glad he wasn't. You'd be a different person if he had raised you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"What Laufey did can't really be called "raising" him, more accurately occasionally arriving to shout and departing in the blink of an eye.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"If Nál had raised him—though his mother would not have allowed that now, would she have?—Loki might be… Harry Osborn or like some other boy of that haughty, garish compunction. He might not be at SHIELD, and he might not be in high school at all.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I heard Tony's got a rival for the ridiculous," Pepper says, seated across him. "He won't stop talking about 'paintjobs' and the 'meaning of life.'"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I don't think Tony has to worry about deposition just yet. His ridiculousness isn't only superficial."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Nál will probably disapprove of Tony and his aptitude for time wasting. He will probably disapprove of all of his—them except Natasha. Her composure competes with that taught to Loki by Laufey, who in all of his emotionality could instantly become the embodiment of emotionlessness.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"How unnerving that was to stand before him as he looked down with those blank eyes and await the explosion of rage.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's intercepted in the doorway by a middle-aged man who smiles sans teeth, dark eyebrows lifted.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The man extends a hand, and his gaze bores into Loki's as they shake hands. "Dr. Leonard Samson, SHIELD guidance counsellor and psychiatrist. You can call me Doc Samson, Loki."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Oh, psychiatrist, now that's something, isn't it? He can't say he hasn't heard the word in succession with "should see one" before, but for SHIELD's, beacon of mental health care in not only education but administration, to seek him out, it's interesting.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Bruce Banner didn't die, and Loki didn't see him collapsed and unconscious from inhalation. There is nothing to recover from.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You're here to talk about Bruce."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm here to see how you're doing, and yes, talk about Bruce in relation to you." He tucks his hands into his pockets, still smiling. "You two are friends, and Bruce is a daily part of your life. Humans, we're creatures of habit, and having that displacement can affect us. It won't always have a great effect, but sometimes it can."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"A passing Reed tells him goodbye.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor is probably waiting for him.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""My only concern is that what happened is put behind us, and Bruce getting help will ensure that. And I've got experience with change, Dr. Samson. If you recall, I moved here from a non-Anglophonic, relatively homogenous country only two months ago." Loki inclines his head at Dr. Samson. "Have a nice day, doctor."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Humans are creatures of habit. Humans are social creatures. Generalizations may aid psychologists and psychiatrists and therapists in their quest to help the world at large with the many woes that ail them as a product of their petty internal conflicts, but they are simply parameters, general truths to keep in mind, and do not apply to every member of the human population.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki was ostracized from his many of his peers because he was and will always be an outlier in several regards, love of human contact and familiarity among them.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Are you coming tonight?" Thor asks, not attempting to hail a cab for Loki.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""No."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The muscles in Thor's jaw flex, that V of his cheekbones and chin pronounced. "Why can't you support me?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor sounds like a needy child. Where is this coming from?p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Because you have thousands of SHIELD students of all ages who would lick your dirty football boots. I'll be another face in the crowd. You don't need me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""No, you won't." His eyes drop to Loki's lips. "If you were there, it'd mean a lot to me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki rolls his eyes. "If you're that eager to use your post-win high on sex, you can sprint home," he says as he notices the cherry red soft top convertible and Steve getting in to. "Have a good game, Thor."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony exclaims, "They can't stay away from the Tony train," as Loki climbs in beside James, and he abandons whatever they were talking about before in favor of recounting the tale of seeing Nál's Rolls Royce arrive this morning.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thing was pretty damn nice," James says. "Better than anything you got, Tony."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Eh, wouldn't say that, but it was cool. The Laufeysons have got some taste."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Discounting the habit of leaning toward garishness, between the three "Laufeysons" that he knows, himself included, they do have taste, and if any trait of character is genetic, it's that, not drama as Charles Xavier stated.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Will I see you at the game later?" Steve asks, red-tinted nose peering over the rolled down window, and Loki thinks back to the moment in Tony's theater when Steve said that he understood why Loki treated Thor so harshly.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He and Natasha, they have their own beliefs of how Loki's handling this, and Steve communicates his in those eyes, cornflower blue and emotive.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's disappointed already but hopeful. Steve Rogers is forever the optimist.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""No, you won't," he says, and Steve lets out a loud breath and nods.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His and Natasha's beliefs are colored by what they've experienced, the American romantic comedies that have been shoved down their throats. They'll find that this is less romantic comedy, more teen sex comedy, emphasis on the sex.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Franspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"çspanoise Hardy plays softly from the den, and his mother and an open file sit at the kitchen island./p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He steps toward the stairs.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki, come in here," she calls, happy and bright.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother was always a content woman, but this happiness wasn't so persistent.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Sit, sit."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I have homework."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You always have homework, Loki. You never had this much homework in Stockholm."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That school wasn't exactly SHIELD."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She blinks, light flickering in the blue of her eyes. "You work so hard in school. You need to relax," she says, and her hands come down on the papers, blueprints of machines and charts of tiny numbers. "Tomorrow, you can do your homework some other time because we're going to go shopping. SHIELD took those canvas shoes I know you love."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She knows, knows that Loki has no idea that he has an uncle out there who looks like her dead ex-husband, and she wants to take him shopping. To withstand a man like Laufey, she needed strength, but this, this isn't strength. She's sociopathic.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Franspan style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"çspanoise's cheerful French and his mother's joyful look clash with the anger and incredulity inside him./p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Alright," he says, and he turns to do that homework.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He did his homework in class.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor doesn't come to him, and Loki falls asleep reading like he used to.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'I saw Theoric today. Loki, he's so hot! I know you despise him, but he was so nice to me. He asked about you and told me to tell you that he sends his 'good luck.' I swear I'll get you a picture. We have lunch Saturday!em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.0in; text-indent: .5in;"emSigyn'em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Her email shifts his mood toward the cynicism familiar to him in his days as Sigyn's confidante and unattainable crush—she scoffs and grows red when he mentions that—and like those people who never take their eyes off their phone, he and Sigyn share a series of many emails wherein he reminds her of Theoric's true nature and she claims that his attractiveness invalidates it all.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Frustrated?" Erik asks.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki sits at his solitary lab desk and sets down his bag in Bruce's seat. "It's hard to talk sense into someone when they're four thousand miles away."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He places his hands on the desk, leaning over Loki. "Hard to do that when they're in front of you. I just hand out detentions or tell them what misfortune I hope happens to them. Both fall within the law, and I'm a little less frustrated."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Well, I hope that Theoric Mörkröd is strangled to death with his own intestines and that Sigyn realizes how fortunate she is he's dead."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Erik grins. "It's frustrating, I know, to be unable to protect the ones you care about, but you never stop trying." The grin subsides and something dark, urgent takes its place. "Sigyn might not know what's good for her, but you do."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki nods. "I won't."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The bell rings overhead, and Erik stands up.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He texts Sigyn that he knows handfuls of men who she would be better off with than Theoric and puts his phone away for History.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'd ask if you were texting your boyfriend, but I don't want Thor to try to murder me with his eyes again, like ever," Tony murmurs, and Loki chuckles.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor did do that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I wonder when Lehnsherr's going to show us how to make meth," Clint says after summarizing to Thor the plot of some TV show. "Loki, ask your naughty professor to teach us how to make meth. He'd kill any of us, and Tash refuses to take one for the team."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki's tempted to toss his water in Clint's face, but he won't risk hitting Natasha.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Three people off the top of my head could tell you how to do that and not get tall, pale, and moody killed: Victor von Doom, Reed Richards, and the greatest science-bro there has ever been, Bruce." Tony points around his soda. "Bruce is out of commission and the other two people—come on. You're not masochistic or suicidal. So, for Christmas, Poppa Stark will get Clint's first chemistry set. It's going to be great."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Meth is illegal for a reason," Steve says. "You're not learning how to make it, and you're not going to teach Clint how to. And John Aaron is our RA, Clint. He'd make you clean everyone's room in the building and run laps around the whole campus like he did after the flaming darts."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That was just fun, okay? John Aaron hates the movie emTroyem! He hates fun, and he hates me. Making meth would hardly be the worst thing I've done. Loki, naughty professor, meth, understood?"/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki licks his spoon of vanilla yogurt and sets it aside. "Is interrupting my date with Victor von Doom whom you believe to be psychotic among those worst things, or is that on your list of things to joke about?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki is the master of mood change.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Clint's smile is gone as are everyone else's though Natasha wasn't smiling as usual, and Loki does smile as he sips his water.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He hasn't forgotten.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki texts Sigyn rather than carry on any conversation with his tablemates Thor, Tony, or Steve. Elaborating on the many flaws of the supposedly flawless Theoric is quite easy.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother's waiting when they arrive home, effortlessly beautiful like most women desire to be in high heels she'll supplement with a dozen more and skin tight clothes beneath her trench coat.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor briefly looks her over, her long bared legs, and it's amusing how he guilty looks to Loki afterward.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""We're going shopping, Thor, and if we see anything that we think you'd like, we'll get it," she says as Loki lingers at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her to stop talking. "Loki, go change into something more suited. You wear too many clothes with SHIELD written on it."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He wore those clothes over a week ago for a few hours.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He only takes off the blazer.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother's nowhere in sight.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor leans on the island with Loki's phone—Loki's phone!—in his hand, holding it out to him. "Your mother's waiting in the car."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""How did you-?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The timer counts up in an ongoing call with emSigynem./p  
>p class="MsoNormal""It was vibrating and blinking in your bag," he says, defensively. "If it had been a text, I wouldn't have read it."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He no longer wants to hear whatever Thor has to say, so he leaves. "Sigyn?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Oh my—Loki, why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What are you talking about?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That guy. I asked him, 'Who are you? Are you Loki's friend?' And he said, 'I'm Thor,' like I was supposed to know what that meant, so I realized that if he had access to your phone which you guard like you guard everything, he had to be your boyfriend. He had a glorious voice. Tell me about him."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That was my step-brother Thor, Sigyn," he says, buckling his seat belt.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother sends him a questioning look.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""It's Sigyn," he answers, and she hums and grins. "I thought you weren't going to call me first."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Well, you're a terrible friend, and when I mean terrible, I mean terrible." She sighs. "I postponed my date with Theoric."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki's victory grants his mother leeway for he replies verbally, albeit simple sentences, when he addresses him about a stiletto boot she holds up, wondering if she should get it in white or blue. She flips through the racks with intent, the staff retreating until they're summoned.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He finds a suitable replacement for his Converse in a pair of Common Project sneakers, and his mother motions to pull out her debit card as he does his.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki, those shoes are 400 dollars. I know that you're utilitarian with your shopping, so let me get these for you." She tilts her head toward him, smile lopsided. "It's an investment."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm independent enough to buy my own shoes." He hands his card to the cashier. "I don't need your investment."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His mother puts on an emotionless mask, and Loki has more bounce in his step as they get into the car.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"His hand moves for the stereo, and she grasps it at the wrist, stilling it.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Finally.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You don't disrespect me like that ever again. I'm an understanding person, but I will not have my 16 year old son speak to me like he is my equal. When you are my age, you can say what you please, but until then, you will learn to hold your tongue."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"If he were ten years younger, she would've stricken him and spoke later.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The smile that spreads across his face starts slow and grows until it hurts.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Like you did about Nál."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"There, there in her eyes, the guilt and the shock overwhelm anything else, and Loki will laugh about this later, a nice long laugh.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""My father's brother, my uncle Nál who looks identical to him and thinks a lot like him too?" He yanks his arm from her hand. "He has some right to me that you never bothered telling me about? Does this sound familiar to you, or have you buried it so deep in your attempt to keep me from him that you've forgotten?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""When did—?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal" "Thanksgiving morning. He showed up on our doorstep and treated me like we'd known each other my entire life. He treated me better than your dead husband ever did in the two times I've seen him, and he's spoken to me less like a coddled little boy and more like person than you ever have."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She shakes her head. "He had no right."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You had no right to pretend as if he didn't exist. You had no right to drag me here along with you when I could've stayed, I could've moved to Gothenburg with him and gotten to know the only link I have left to my father." Loki takes in a shuddering breath. "Trying to protect me now doesn't change your failure to do that for seven years."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Nál, Laufey, Bergelmir, they're all the same, Loki. They take want they want from people and go about their way. Laufey wanted company. Laufey wanted an heir. Laufey wasn't the one who held you and fed you and bathed you. Nál will only do the same."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Nál doesn't even want children, but he wants to be in my life. If you hadn't insisted that you do it alone, I'm sure he would have had no problem listening to my pre-pubescent angst since you hated that so much."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I kept you from becoming one of their emotionless, blood lusting husks, and if you hate me for that, I—I don't regret what I did." She starts the car. "I did what you needed me to."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"What Loki needed from his mother was her understanding, and she may have repeatedly said that she understood the struggle of sharing the locker room with boys that were impossibilities that Loki very much wanted, ached for, and said that she understood the moments where all he wanted to do was be alone, to shut off his mind and not think about how they dehumanized him because he was different, but she never understood.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She never even tried, did she?p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hm, these are nice." Thor's likely holding up Loki's shoes, but Loki doesn't turn around from his book, forces his eyes to focus on the words.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He hasn't cried yet.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Did you get me anything?" Thor's chin settles on Loki's shoulder, and Loki relaxes under the heat, the familiarity.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I didn't think you would want any platform pumps," Loki replies.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor chuckles, deep in his chest. "I think flat shoes suit me best, but I imagine you wouldn't look so bad in a pair of high heels. You have the legs for them." His lips press below Loki's ear. "Sigyn, she seemed rather happy for being your friend."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I'm not all doom and gloom, Thor."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""No, not always, but she sounded like—"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You?" Loki glances up at the picture of him and Sigyn. "If you were a girl, you might look like her."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor makes a sound. "I thought that may have been a cousin. She is…"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Beautiful."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""—all over you. Robert is shameless with his love for Lindy, but Sigyn, she looks like she wouldn't rather be anywhere else. Maybe it's good that you two are apart, so she can fall out of love with you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""There's a difference between infatuation and love, and she was my best friend."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""My best friend was a girl too, and Sif and I were 'infatuated' with each other once when we were four. We've grown up beside each other, so we're like siblings now. She would jump off a cliff before she'd as much as kiss me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Sigyn and I met when we were eight, and I never pursued her like every other male person she came in contact attempted to. It made her trust me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""And love you." Thor leans over his shoulder, an eyebrow cocked. "Unless you two…?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""What?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I don't know, had sex."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor is observant when he tries.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I was the only one she trusted enough."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Though Thor's shock retroactively erases any brilliance. "Wow, I guessed the most absurd possibility, so you would correct me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Why is this so shocking?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Because you're so…" Thor shakes his head. "I've never seen you as much as look at Natasha's ass which, not to be creepy toward her or anything, everyone has."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor, I'm gay, so clearly, that didn't work out so well. No amount of imagination could have made me cum." Loki realizes he doesn't remember the past ten pages he read. "Now, we're done talking about this."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor, in all his lack of comedic timing, succeeds at just that and hair curtaining his face like some kind of moonlit halo, grins down at Loki and says, "But emIem can make you cum," in a voice so proud that Loki pushes him off him and nearly out of his bed./p  
>p class="MsoNormal""How did it go with Sigyn?" Erik places his palms on the table, leaning over Loki, and Loki tucks his hair behind his ear.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""It went perfect," he replies. "I guess I should thank you for the… motivation."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Emma Frost is a statue at Erik's side, watching him her head tilted to the side. "Lehnsherr, I need to talk to you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Erik slides his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm good at it, so you know where to come if you ever need any. Ask Xavier, he'll tell you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Emma's eyes flit between them, gray lips smirking. "Diamond, senior project, is any of this registering, or is your head a little hard… to think with?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Erik turns a hard gaze on her. "Talk."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hm, well, I need your full attention for this, so I guess I'll give you a moment." She clicks past Loki, handbag swinging on her elbow and narrowly missing Loki's arm.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Erik's pants for all their tightness are too dark to make out anything, not that Loki looks at Erik's crotch throughout class. Maybe he does let his eyes drift below the waist, but he cannot be faulted for his curiosity.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Emma slides past him in the doorway, saying, "Watch out for Chuck."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Natasha gives him a long disapproving look.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He and Erik aren't purposely flirting. They simply have chemistry—how Starkian—between them and the natural conversation progression often leads to innuendoes. It's neither a negative nor positive reflection on them nor their relationship as student and teacher.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Professor Erik Lehnsherr shall remain an impossibility, and like Emma so casually warned him, Professor Charles Xavier has staked claim on him long before Loki arrived.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki, would you fuck me?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Barton spits out his milk, Natasha swallows with some trouble, Steve has to slap himself on the chest as he chokes, Thor glares with the rage of a god, and Loki, Loki lifts an eyebrow and caps his water.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That was the wrong way to phrase it. Wrong question to ask anyway. Do you think I, Tony stark, am hot?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Where is this question going?" Thor asks, and Tony assures him it has some purpose.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony Stark with thick lashes and innocent eyes and unkempt, styled hair, hot? Tony is several things, but hot isn't one of them. He's adorable in the way early teenagers are though the sentences he utters aren't so adorable.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You're attractive."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""And…?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""And what? I wouldn't 'fuck' you because I don't want to. You're not 'hot.' Hot is blond haired and blue-eyed and taller than me," he says, and Loki almost reacts to his words.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor smirks, Natasha smiles, and Steve suppresses a grin.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Psh, Adam Warlock then, but whatever, whatever, calm down, Thor, I'm not—holy shit." Tony gapes. "Holy shit. Holy shit!"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Barton's brow furrows. "What? What am I missing?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony points at Loki. "You're a slick little shit, I swear. One day, one day, I'm going to pull one over you. One day, sooner or later, I'm going to keep something from you, and you're going to realize and feel as stupid as I do right now."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Barton slams his fists on the table. "What is it? Why is everyone having this look on their face like they know something that I don't."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Because they do," Loki says.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""That's not fair. Tash, come on, tell me."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Natasha crosses her arms. "If you're hearing it from anyone, it'll be from him."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Steve-"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Clint, you know I try not to get involved in these type of things. They only create unnecessary conflict, and I know, some conflict is healthy, but whatever will come out of this won't be. So, I'd just sit tight if I were you and keep your eyes open. That's what I did."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Tony sits there across him in Psychology grinning like a maniac and asking questions like, "Is it as big as I think it is?" and "Have you done it on the football field and that's why you don't go to games because Pavlov's boner?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"At the last one, Loki kicks Tony hard in the shin and hisses for him to shut up or it will be between the legs where he gets the next hit.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You look quite disgruntled, Mr. Laufeyson," Charles says, mug back under his chin where it belongs. "Have a tough day?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor could fix that," Tony whisper-shouts, and Charles cocks an eyebrow.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hm, it's Tony Stark that's your problem. I'm afraid I can't help with that if I wish to remain unincarcerated."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I resent your unrequited love, X. We got way back to ninth grade. Don't the times where I read Romeo Juliet in the greatest impression of you bring you to tears? Because that's what they do to me though I'm usually laughing too."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Charles walks away as Loki does when the bell rings for a class Tony's not in.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Even Stark has a threshold where jokes no longer hold their amusement, but the value of that threshold remains unseen.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Do you have to be 'productive' tonight?" Thor asks, and Loki shuts his locker and gives him a knowing look.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Whatever sport you have a game for, don't expect me to be there."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""The soccer game is Monday and the football season is over, so no, it's not any sport. I don't have any practice tonight and my father is taking your mother to the opera, so we're on our own tonight for dinner."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""For all of your irritating ways, I won't let you starve if that's what you're worried about."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor lets out a breath, hand up for a taxi. "No, I'm not worried about anything, Loki. If you'd let me finish—"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Go ahead and talk then."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Let's go out to eat," he says, and for all of the effort Thor put into asking that, Loki was expecting something involving Tony Stark and lots of SHIELD students.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Alright."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor smiles and opens the cab door. "Okay." He holds a thumbs-up to someone probably regarding sports and slides in after Loki. "It's Japanese."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Hm I've never had any before."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Neither have I."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'Honestly I'm not all that surprised you two are sexing it up.' – Tony Starkem/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'If you weren't, it'd be a shame. You should make a sex tape.' – Tony Starkem/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'Sex video. Or pictures. Send them to me. I won't share. Promise.' – Tony Starkem/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'Maybe w Steve b/c the guy would blush and never look you in the eye again. Too funny.' – Tony Stark/em/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"em'XXX-mas present: Norse Gods Get Naughty Volume 1 :DDDDD'– Tony Starkem/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Not a single one of Tony's ramblings gets a reply.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"What an idiot.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor leads him into the restaurant with a hand on the small of his back, and flashes a hint of teeth at the hostess and says, "Odinson, table for two," so smoothly that Loki has to laugh a little. p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He thanks Thor for unnecessarily pulling out his seat for him and Thor is forever humble.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"The waitress introduces herself and really, it's obvious that she is looking at Thor even when she has her pad of paper held in front of her face and scribbles down their drink orders. She licks her lipstick-smeared lips and smiles at Thor and says that she'll be back as soon as she can.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki is sure of that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She may be the most prompt waitresses Loki has had, setting down their drinks in front of them seconds later. Perhaps he should bring Thor more places with him if this is the service he receives in his presence.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor tells him that Warren suggested the restaurant as they look over their menus. "He told me everything on the menu is good."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""If it isn't, like you said not so long ago, I'll give you the rest." Loki glances over the short menu and notes what he recognizes and doesn't. Japanese food isn't outlandish sounding or anything of that sort.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""You remember that?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yes, I do. I remember everything you say, so you should keep that in mind."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Is that a threat?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki hums. "It can be whatever you make it."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor stares him down overtop his drink, and Loki runs his finger around the rim of his, one elbow on the table's edge. He sets his drink down and leans forward, and from his open mouth doesn't come his voice but that of their waitress who stands there, pad ready, and asks if they're ready to order.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She faces Thor and watches his lips as he speaks. She tries to look at Loki while he tells her his, but her little self-control draws her attention back to Thor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Wavy blonde hair, bleached that color of course, and a cute face, she's an option Thor should consider. Perhaps this could be the start of a long-term love duplicated from a movie starring that dopey actor Matthew McConaughey, and Loki is simply here to witness the beauty of true romance.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He could gag himself on his scallops at her, "I can say for sure that tastes amazing," to Thor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""My birthday is Wednesday."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Loki dabs stray sauce from his lips, Thor's eyes tracking the movement. "It is. I heard they're throwing a tremendous parade and have officialized it as global holiday."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Well, I know that I'm having dinner that night and a party for a small group of friends Friday. I haven't heard of any parades or holidays, but I would be flattered."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""By 'small group of friends,' you mean five hundred instead of five thousand, yes?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I don't have five thousand friends, Loki. I have a few hundred if I'm being generous and you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Thor, the boy who is friends with everyone, doesn't consider me a friend? I might break down in tears."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor chuckles. "You're more than a 'friend,' Loki," he says, and Loki takes a bite that occupies his mouth with chewing rather than responding to that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He's unsure of what a proper response would even be because a scathing reminder that siblings don't consider themselves friends but reluctant allies doesn't seem fitting.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"As an only child, he doesn't have experience with an elder someone coming to his rescue when an "other" pushes his books from his arms. Sigyn's elder sisters, Sjofn more than often, would be there for the effect, patting his shoulders and attempting to comfort him in high tones. Maybe if he'd been straight it would have served him some purpose.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor with his Sif and Volstagg and dozen other Eliases—what a loathsome name that every boy seemed to have in Stockholm—probably never faced a single detractor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He cocks an eyebrow. "Everything alright?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Fine," he says, and Loki is saved by Thor's smitten admirer.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She returns Thor's card and the receipt and bottom lip bitten murmurs, "Do you think, um, maybe you and I could… go out sometime?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Her bravery could be applauded though that need, the need to seize an opportunity that may never arise again, likely fuels her rather than any valor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's lips press together, and he glances at Loki then back to her. "I'm sorry, truly, but I'm not interested."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Not the answer Loki expected at all.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"She huffs and bids them a hurried goodnight and flees.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor looks at Loki like he didn't just do that.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""She was good-looking. Why did you tell her you weren't interested?"p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Because we're together," Thor says as if it's Loki that's missing something, brow furrowed and frowning. Then he exhales and gives a half-smile, the kind of smile one gives to someone when they've done something stupidly endearing.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"A smile he knows he's given to Thor.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He lifts his eyebrows for further explanation on Thor's "answer," which answered nothing.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Loki, please. Label or not, we're having sex exclusively with one another, and we're emotionally involved. That's what a relationship is."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"This… this is a date.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"That football game on Thanksgiving, that was a date, their first date.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""But we're step-brothers."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor shrugs a shoulder.p  
>p class="MsoNormal""We're emotionally involved because we're step-brothers. The sex, that's outside of step-brother territory, yes, but simply because those are true doesn't mean emthatem is." Loki shakes his head. "Our relationship is that we're step-brothers."/p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor's nostrils flare. "Then this is just sex to you."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Yes," he says. "Yes, I told you this from the beginning. I thought you understood."p  
>p class="MsoNormal""I thought you understood, Loki." Thor stands, and Loki feels his face grow warm like he's been caught in a lie.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He thought Thor understood. He thought that Thor knew that this was simply amazing sex. He thought that Thor had gotten over that brief misunderstanding he had with himself over what Loki's mother said. Thor had been so normal afterward, and he never mentioned anything about a relationship beyond the casual sex and the step-brothers. p  
>p class="MsoNormal""Get up. We're going home."p  
>p class="MsoNormal"Thor doesn't wait for him to follow, and Loki sits there at the empty table and tries to understand.p  
>p class="MsoNormal"He thought Natasha was wrong.p  
>p class="MsoNormal" p 


	9. Chapter 9

9. Clint Barton: Clever Blond!?

Harsh buzzing that brings to mind the aged metal fan his biology teacher insisted be on, a rhythmic puttering in the background of exams and silent reading.

Loki blinks away the blur of sleep. His eyelashes are clumped and dry, eyelids gritty.

Woe is him.

He holds his vibrating phone above him, an unknown number lighting his screen. "Hell—"

"Look presentable in ten minutes." Nál's voice shatters any remaining tiredness. "Be there to answer the door when I arrive."

And like that he hangs up, without as much as a farewell or belated good morning.

It's 5:24 am on a Saturday morning, and his uncle expects him to look alive.

Almost it seems it would be advantageous to have everyone's expectations of him lowered for in recent times, they've expected extravagance when Loki is wont to doing what he desires to.

With utilitarian grace, he deprives himself of his leisurely shower and dresses himself in understated clothes unlikely for Nál to scoff at. It's enough less than ten minutes that he has the time to start a kettle for coffee, but the hard knock comes when he's in front of the coffee machine, chasing off the glimmers of that self-indulgent—as he has every right to be all factors considered—part of him yearning for more sleep.

Nál holds a brown bag that wafts wonderful smells that churn Loki's stomach. "You listened."

He doesn't mean to outright stare at Nál, but it's strange to see him shrugging off his trench coat—double-breasted, beige—and hanging it on the coat rack like Thor or Odin or Loki's mother have dozens of times.

Nál is less mythical, ice blue Rolls Royce and those militaresque clothes he wore the first time, in a sweater and slacks. Another place he is different from Laufey who retained his godlike aura in pajamas.

"Do you want coffee?"

The sink turns on as Nál rinses his hands. "Yes. I take it black."

So does Loki.

Nál sets a container full of colorful eggs and bacon and blueberry pancakes and other tidbits that Loki has seen on the plates of fictional American characters and taste rather heavenly for all their simplicity. He eats—of course he eats—and breakfast with his uncle isn't as dramatic or garish as one would think it would be though wherever Nál got their breakfast isn't likely a no-name hole in the wall.

"What do you do to pass the time?" Nál asks, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. "You don't play any sports, and I doubt you and Thor are inseparable."

They haven't spoken since dinner last night, so Nál will be right more than ever in the upcoming weeks.

"I read," he says. "There are so many libraries in New York City that I'm hoping to go to them all."

"Don't tell me _The Hunger Games_ and its ilk have gotten your fancy."

"No, I prefer non-genre fiction. Once you're read a Young Adult dystopia, you've read them all. There are better books to be read and so little time to. I'd rather read something older and longer because it's always more fulfilling whether I like it or not."

Nál takes a sip of his coffee. "How pretentious. Laufey used to complain to me in the rare conversations we had about how you spent your formative years reading instead of skinning yours knees. He was unreasonable."

"When I did skin my knees, it wasn't like he was there to see them," Loki replies. "You don't want children, but are you married?"

"No, I haven't had the time. In my line of work, there isn't a surplus of women you want to marry contrary to Laufey's belief. He thought three years made him infinitely wiser, and in my internship under him in my senior year at Yale, he met your mother by chance. She was a new employee at the engineering firm we were collaborating with, and Laufey told her in all of his charm, 'I will make you my queen.' She and I laughed, but Laufey wasn't deterred. You exist, so he was eventually successful."

Loki wouldn't call what became of their marriage successful.

"What of your teenage love life?"

"I'm not interested in love."

"Laufey's son in more ways than blood I see. He became more particular after that unfortunate freshman year of college, but he used his charms unrepentantly and many young men and women would show up on our doorstep demanding things of him. They were fools to believe he wanted anything but sex."

They were.

"If he didn't promise them anything more, they really had no argument."

"Well, Laufey often did make promises he didn't intend to keep, non-verbal promises, but you and I know very well that we can make people think certain ways, feel certain ways if we send them the right look."

How many times has Loki heard that, 'Don't give me that look?' followed by a blush and a hurried look away from his eyes?

It's not always done purposely. The ins and outs of non-verbal communication are as ingrained in him as verbal communication is, and every morpheme, every pause, every inflection is done with the effort of breath, none whatsoever.

"You know Howard Stark?"

Tony would gasp and deem him a traitor for vocalizing the name. How it must burn him that an entire building on campus is named in his honor and referred to not as "Stark" but "Howard."

"We've met several times over the years. He's a bleeding-heart philanthropist who makes it his mission to try to convince me that our resources are better allocated to 'actual defense.'" Nál purses his lips. "Not so long ago, he and my father were planning a joint effort to build an ICBM capable of shrapnel shell deployment."

Nuclear missile made of more nuclear missiles, yes?

"His wife died, and he underwent an epiphany that defense contracting was no longer for Stark Industries. If he wants to throw money as his grief, he can do as he pleases. I have no plans of doing that any time soon," he says. "Tony Stark is a classmate of yours."

If only he were merely that.

There is a message from him waiting in Loki's voicemail, and Loki doubts he wants to hear what Stark has to say.

"We're… friends I suppose."

"You don't at all thrilled by that. If he is anything like Howard, I understand. Speaking to him is filled with nonsensical topic changes and unnecessary violations of personal space."

People do hate those like them, evidently Tony Stark included.

Nál gets a phone call he answers in Swedish and talking to an "Ísgerðr," he curtly gestures for Loki to follow, and without the reserve a normal guest would have, he opens the door.

She stands as tall as Loki and her eyes, deep blue and razors sharp, rake over him. Beneath garment bags, a hand thrusts out and shakes Loki's. "Ísgerðr. A pleasure to meet you, Loki."

"She's my assistant," Nál says, "which means she's yours as well. Loki, show us your room."

Loki isn't told what to do. Loki is suggested what to do.

She cocks a dark eyebrow, and Nál's stare intensifies, so Loki shows them his room in all its sunrise-lit—because Nál has woken him us so early—majesty.

Ísgerðr swipes open his closet door without as much as a querying look in his direction, and if that's not an egregious violation of privacy from someone he has known for moments, Loki would not be on the verge of implosion.

Nál looks over the pictures on Loki's desk. "In the upcoming weeks, you'll need suitable clothes to wear for certain demographics. Politics are a necessary waste of time with these sorts of people."

To Ísgerðr's commendation, she doesn't make a complete mess of the specific arrangement of his clothes, and she turns with pant or shirt leg in hand and expresses her liking which shows some taste on her end. Of course not invalidating the privacy violation.

Nál turns to Loki with a look of intention. "You need a haircut," he says, and Loki takes a small step backward in case he entertains any ideas involving the scissors on Loki's desk and an impromptu desecration of Loki's hair. "Ísgerðr, schedule an appointment for tomorrow."

"No. I don't need or want a haircut. My hair is perfect as is."

"Your hair is pointlessly long if you don't intend to style it. Wear it up or cut it."

His compromise may be unreasonable and not at all feasible on Loki's end because wearing his hair up is not going to happen, but it is a compromise where Laufey would have elected for the scissors and done an absolutely terrible job at it so Loki would have no choice but to shave himself bald.

His mother had the mind to keep it short enough for Laufey's satisfaction and spare Loki of that fate.

"Nál." Speak of the devil and she shall appear, stone-faced and arms crossed. "I didn't know you were in New York City."

Nál shows teeth, smile genuine and mean. "I do live here now. I have to be close to my nephew now that he needs an able parental figure. It's unfortunate that I was so easily persuaded in the past over his well-being."

His mother clenches her jaw. "Saying things does not change your intentions. Loki knows this. And he's quite alright if you weren't aware. It's not his well-being that you're here for."

"I don't lie, Farbauti, and if I were to begin, I wouldn't put the effort into lying to you."

Laufey and his mother are before him, staring each other down and daring the other to surrender first, but neither of them surrender, avert their eyes and walk away, and Loki's helpless but to remain here and watch the hatred.

He's invisible to them both.

"Loki." Ísgerðr drops her hand from his shoulder, and he breaths. "I've sent you to text so you can save my number into your phone. Any questions that you may have, anything that you may need, text me."

He moves past his mother as he follows Ísgerðr out.

They can have his room to argue as long as he's not with them inside it.

She asks if she'll be seeing him tomorrow, and Loki shakes his head and tells her, "No, no, that won't be needed."

He pours himself another cup of coffee and braces himself on the edge of the counter.

Laufey is dead even if Nál may seem to wear his face.

"What's going on up there?" sounds Thor's voice from behind him, and Loki's teeth catch the tip of his tongue. He's not close, on the other side of the island, but the silent cab ride home was the last time they were remotely close.

Less than 24 hours ago but seems like it was far longer ago.

He takes a gulp and doesn't turn to face Thor. "My mother and uncle are arguing over who cares more about my welfare."

Thor snorts. "That could have been avoided if you'd told her he'd come instead of waiting until she saw him with her own eyes."

"I told her. It was a week later, but I told her. I didn't have to either. She'd never told me, so I was simply returning the favor."

"You shouldn't be so petty."

"If being fair is being petty, then I'll continue to be as petty as I please."

The brush of Thor's socks against the hardwood gets closer, and Loki moves away from the coffee maker and him. "Someone needs to be an adult about it, and if it's not you, I doubt it will be either of them."

Oh Thor and his pseudo-intellectualist jabber about things he knows nothing about.

Nál strides into Loki's periphery. "Friday at 7:00, I'll be picking you up unless you decide to take a cab to my home wherein you should alert me beforehand. We're celebrating the buyout of a geothermal energy company in Iceland, and you're to wear the black and white tuxedo."

Loki sets down his mug and turns to Nál. "I can't. Thor's birthday party is Friday."

Nál's mouth curves into something odd. "Happy birthday in advance, Thor."

Thor goes to reply, but Loki says, "His birthday is Wednesday actually."

"Then you can spend your celebratory time with him then because you not be attending his party," he says with such finality that not even Loki's mother has used when revoking her permission. "Thor, Loki, have a good weekend."

Utterly ridiculous!

Does he believe that Loki's going to obey him like some cowed little boy?

"I think I understand your mother's hostility toward him," Thor says.

Tony Stark's message is deleted from Loki's voicemail and Loki saves Ísgerðr's number.

Jane Foster comes over, and she and Thor retreat into his room, sparing Loki of yet another Saturday annoyance though not even her in her terribly fitting clothes and mousy brown hair could match Nál's overbearing assertiveness.

For the sake of the cow, it's better that it's been long dead for his mother stabs her steak until it is a mangled mess of pink and brown and only then does she eat it, teeth snapping together so loudly that Loki can hear it over his own chewing. She doesn't glare at him, no, but her eyes are void of that warmth Odin infected her with after that fateful first date.

"I'm going to the gym," Thor tells him at breakfast, hair tied up into a haphazard bun. "You can come if you want to."

Loki's fingers pause in their drumming of the marble.

Not even Yoga would soothe the irritation.

"Thank you but no," he says, and Thor shrugs and answers his phone.

How can Nál arrive at the earliest hours of a Saturday morning and ruin the weekend for Loki so easily? No one, not even the people who he would call "friends" for the sake of convenience soured his mood so badly after their stunt at his and Victor's date. He was angry, yes, but the anger subsided and he went about his life as he would if they'd never existed.

Nál with his dismissiveness of Loki's plans, plans he had longer than the ones thrust upon him, slid beneath his skin, the barbs of his crystalline exterior fixating into Loki's skin and very soul and mind, and Loki can only grit his teeth and scratch at the icy spines and rage at a man who's wallowing in his self-satisfaction somewhere.

In a penthouse in Manhattan with a view that Loki will like.

Garment bags brushing his back, he yanks the deep green backpack from his closet.

The lycra rubs on his skin as he pulls it on, the running tights and shirt molding to his legs and arms as if it wasn't months ago he last wore them, and the headband snaps against his forehead, his hair secured into a bun that would make Nál so very proud.

He presses the ear buds in and runs.

The chill of the air seeps through the thin material of his clothes and cushions the hooks in his skin with its familiar presence.

He's seen New York from behind the glass of many cabs, from windows in apartments in the sky, but he's never seen it like this, streaking by him in shades of brown and black, weathered by the stresses of city-life like the faces that pass and move from his path.

It's not Stockholm with her blond people and detachment, no, for people shout after him in varying angry twists of their mouths, intrigued smiles with dark intentions between their teeth, and their words go unheard behind the beat of his heart and the bass of his music, but Loki knows people.

It's what makes them so easy to hate.

The pavement gives way to grass, and beyond, the grass to water.

Nál lives somewhere down here, somewhere up there in one of the buildings glinting the setting sun.

He runs back.

His mother glances up at him, chopping with a large knife.

The water refreshes him and nearly does he pour it all over himself.

"I didn't know you still ran," she says.

Loki pulls his headband off. "I didn't," he replies.

Thor sends him an amused look when he passes him up the stairs, and he mentions at breakfast that he sometimes runs and knows a few routes that he could "show" Loki "if he's interested."

"Sure," he says, and Thor smiles tightly and returns to his oatmeal and texting.

Tony comes jogging from SHIELD when Loki ascends the stone stairs, and shouts ahead of him, "My Norse Lovers!"

A few looks but Stark's mostly ignored.

Loki catches him by the collar of his blazer, and Tony tells him "Whoa" as he dares to hold up his hands defensively as though he were innocent. "If you ever make a joke about us again, I will tell everyone how you've taken advantage of little Steve Rogers."

All traces of amusement leave Tony's face, and grinning, Loki releases him with a short shove. He pulls a hand over his face and jabs one at Loki, eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "Too far, man," he says, spitting it. "Too fucking far."

Tony's jokes aren't all made up that twisted mind of his, that Loki's known since Tony looked Steve's way, handled him with care he handles nothing.

Steve is purely oblivious where he waits in the lobby, flushed pink and rubbing his arms on himself. "Where's Tony?"

"He left in a flurry of emotion," Loki replies, and Steve lets out a long-suffering breath.

He doesn't ask any more questions about it.

When he thinks no one else is looking, Stark turns a hard look on him, and Loki bites the inside of his lip to prevent the laughter. Tony, Tony, Tony, if only his unlimited intelligence applied to social situations, then Loki wouldn't have the leverage in the first place.

After dismissal, Steve and Bucky are waiting at his locker, and Loki pauses mid-stride in the torrents of students.

Thor has a football game today.

Fuck.

Bucky points him out, and Steve turns around with his usual polite smile.

"Loki," Bucky says, charming smile spread across his face as Loki purses his lips against the urge to outright frown. "Finally headed to a game to the support the old Eagles. I understand. You don't care about some little game, would rather be doing something useful for the world. But ease up once in a while and see the small picture."

He slams his locker shut. "I do see the small picture. However, it doesn't include going to a football or soccer as you call it game." He exhales. "When I told Thor I would come, I wasn't of sound mind. I was distracted."

Bucky and Steve exchange a look.

"You gave him your word, Loki," Steve says. "You can't go back on that now."

"And why not?"

"'Boy Who Cried Wolf,' ring a bell?" Bucky asks.

How original.

"Look, Laufeyson, this isn't just any game. It's the last game of the soccer season, and the last game of the season is always a game against HYDRA. It's tradition, and you probably could give a flying shit about SHIELD tradition, but students like Steve over here do." He slaps Steve on the shoulder. "So, you're going to go over to the field, sit up in the bleachers and pay attention for two hours of your life, and go home and forget this ever happened."

Two hours of his life is not some insignificant amount when taken into consideration, and football, Loki's seen enough football, even played some when it was compulsory in primary school, to satisfy any curiosity he may have.

Thor wanted him to support him, Loki out of the thousands to support him.

Loki tosses his scarf over his shoulder. "So, what are you doing until the game begins?"

Bucky claps him on the shoulder, beaming the same smile as Steve, and Loki would rather this moment of weakness be over.

Beyond the trees on the western side of Lee Library, they lead him to the dormitories Loki's only seen on the map of SHIELD on his tablet and in passing on the lunchtime excursions he and Erik took, which to the unaware, look to be modern apartments rather than the home of the majority of SHIELD's senior student body.

Or a ticking time bomb waiting for the wrong student to "just have fun" as Clint said and vaporize downtown New York and the parts of Brooklyn not so far across the East river.

One foot into Kirby Hall and the cacophony almost deafens Loki, the unseen, nondescript voices echoing over the glass balcony and from down the hall cheering for absolutely nothing.

Steve offers him an apologetic look. "Like Buck said, this game is kind of a big deal."

If it weren't for his blazer, he would be the only one without a SHIELD insignia on his person in the crowded recreation room.

A platinum blonde with blue eye shadowed slathered on cheers in the middle of the room—cheer as in American cheerleading—holding up navy pom-poms with her flat stomach shown but arms covered in SHIELD gray—not meant to keep her warm surely—and she leaps and kicks up her legs to reveal gray shorts beneath the strip of fabric around her hips that barely passes as a skirt.

Of course SHIELD has cheerleaders.

Everyone looks to be mesmerized and repeats after her in perhaps the most eerie display of conformity Loki's witnessed yet.

They leave in a horde that gathers more participants in the procession toward the field, and Loki keeps to the edge beside the smiling Steve who is far too thrilled to "Kick some HYDRA skin" for a boy who hates conflict.

"'The Eagle Head,' as proudly declared at the field—stadium is more accurate though SHIELD must retain some humility—entrance in steel letters, in all its glass and steel is positively crammed with unknown faces in red blazers, and Loki loathes, oh how he loathes Thor Odinson for having that smile and those eyes.

A SHIELD security guard points him to the dozens of rows of blue blazers, and Loki squints at the red blazers across the field and turns on his heel.

In the corner of the field where non-blazers make up the majority, Loki descends to the front rows and seats himself comfortably behind the goal, away from nauseating school spirit.

Flakes of snow drift down and the field turns from evergreen to lime. Maybe someone will get terribly and oh so unfortunately injured, and this game will be dismissed without circumstance.

SHIELD in their black shorts and navy jerseys run onto the field, and among Robert, Luke, Johnny, Barton, Adam, Parker, James, Scott, Wade, Remy LeBeau, and Grover, tall and blond, Thor stretches his muscled sleeved arms, 83 reflecting silver on his back.

He wasn't lying—obviously as Thor never lies—about the uniform.

The mythical HYDRA is all red save for the black linings of their sleeves, and Loki squints past the errant snowflakes to search for faces he saw at Osborn's party.

Unnaturally blue eyes lock with his, and Thanos Titan, that friend from Halloween at Victor's with the wandering hands, stares at him with that same interest as before. When his eyes leave Loki's, Loki lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

Feet away in the circle at the center of the field, Thanos just barely towers over Thor.

Loki finds that satisfactory.

A whistle is blown, and Clint kicks the ball back to Adam Warlock.

He has little to reference for whether SHIELD's football team are good other than their undefeated run of 22 games that he has not stopped hearing about from his classmates, who talked about the previous game in their loudest voices possible as if Thor explicitly instructed them to annoy Loki for not submitting to his whims. Without much credible reference save his own eyes, Loki wouldn't know that their team "dominates," as Barton puts it, every opponent they face.

Four minutes after the match has begun, as if guided by some unseen force, Grover catches a ball Thanos rockets from the other side of the field.

Grover doesn't stop the next one launched by a bald HYDRA player, who in the middle of his celebrating teammates, holds up his arm toward the sea of navy, pointing to the tattoo of a target on his forearm.

Ten minutes pass and Clint has an answer for that.

"These always end in draws," says a husky voice, and the seat beside Loki is no longer empty. Face half covered by the oversized hood of his sweatshirt beneath, a boy in a red HYDRA blazer lounges back, mouth curved in a slight smile. "Than, of course, will have the last goal."

"How boring."

The orange-shirted referee holds up a yellow card and points to a grinning HYDRA player.

Peter holds his shin as Wade throws snow at it.

"You say that now, but you haven't witnessed the Chitauri brothers in the second half. They don't go for yellow cards. They go for straight red."

Wade knocks down a HYDRA player with a mohawk from behind, falling into a slide and lashing out at his ankles, and after Scott talks to the referee—with the SHIELD side begging my amnesty while HYDRA calls for Wade's head—he receives a yellow card for what the boy beside Loki says is a "red card offense."

Based on what Loki knows of football, Thor is good, very good at his role as midfielder which itself is a surprise with how Thor seems to be a goal-scoring person. Surely there are opportunities for Thor to get the glory of scoring and Thor definitely takes those opportunities, but even without years of football to refer to, Loki understands the frustration of unrecognized subtle brilliance.

Thanos finds a challenger in Thor several times, and it's only by intervention of several other HYDRA players and the aid of the slush that was once snow that he ever gets past him.

At halftime, Thor turns his squinted eyes in Loki's direction.

His teeth shine in the stadium lights.

Step-brothers, they're step-brothers and this is why they have an emotional connection.

Loki knows this. Thor has to.

"So, are you going to tell me your name?" he asks the boy, awkwardly leant over his hand-shielded phone.

The boy locks his phone and chuckles. He removes his hood and extends a hand.

In contrast to all the students Loki's met, HYDRA and SHIELD, he is so extraordinarily average—no Thor Odinson. The brace around his neck explains the strange posture. "Other, student body vice-president at HYDRA. Thanos has told me about you, Loki."

'Other.' A last name, Loki decides.

"What could Thanos possibly know about me?"

"He knows that you're a relatively new junior at SHIELD and close friends with the voluntarily friendless Victor von Doom. Given who Victor von Doom is, that says a lot about who you aren't." Other nods toward the SHIELD students. "You aren't like them. Victor von Doom isn't like them."

How kind of him to remind Loki of the differences that will set him apart from any group unless they consisted of doppelgangers of him. What Other knows can only illustrate the basic parts of Loki Thanos may have learned himself if he hadn't tried to touch Loki's ass and held a brief conversation, just marginally longer than the one they had.

"Did Thanos send you over here to complete his personality profile?"

"Thanos merely suggested that I take any opportunity that should present itself to talk to you. If I didn't have a broken neck, I would have been on the field with him, and I wouldn't have seen this empty seat and been able to sit here. No, before you ask, Thanos did not break my neck. I'd be dead if he had."

Thanos is intimidating, calculating, and violent, and Other fears and reveres him.

If Other is so intelligent and observant, he would have watched what he said. Perhaps it's Tony Stark he should be talking to, accidentally revealing dark truths through attempts at dark humor.

Not everyone can be a comedian and keep their skeletons securely closeted.

"And you wouldn't be talking to me," Loki says evenly.

Chuckling, Other pulls his hood back on and turns forward.

Players, SHIELD and HYDRA alike, slow to a cautious tread in the gray slick covering the field, and while the chants from the stands don't wean in volume, Loki leans on his arm and splits his attention between the game and the timer counting down from 45:00.

Luke sends the ball sailing over the heads of HYDRA players to Thor, and Thor, ball between his feet, feints through two HYDRA players and shoots the ball into the opposite side of the net as the HYDRA goalkeeper.

The people around him, the lot of them civilians, leap from their seats, and the sea of blue is a turbulent mix of flailing limps and gaping mouths.

Thor holds up his arms, his fellow players lying their hands on wherever they can reach—Loki has touched everywhere—and he is a god to many.

To Loki, Thor is… alright.

The yellow cards shown to HYDRA players, particularly, to the four players with periwinkle dyed hair skulking in front of HYDRA's goal on the other end, becomes so frequent that the referee elects to hold at ready at all times.

A shirt grabbed by Thanos belonging to Adam, a miraculous shove of Thanos away, a snowfall thrown by Wade at the back of Thanos' head, a near-choking of Wade by Thanos, a freeing of Wade by Robert and ensuing shoving match between him and Thanos, completely sportsmanlike, non-violent events like that occur with ten minutes remaining.

Four red cards are shown, and exiting the field are two SHIELD and two HYDRA players.

Grover kicks the ball back into play, and Thor is an absolute animal.

Any HYDRA player who dares cross the midfield line gets body-checked straight to the snow mush, and Thor, arms flexed so hard that Loki sees the contours and curves under the spandex of his sleeves, stands over them until they manage to crawl back to their feet and to their half. His hair, darkened and locked by the melting snow, soars around his face as he turns to bare his teeth at the HYDRA player stupid enough to follow, runs and feints around the bedraggled red defenders.

Three times, Thor scores three times before the referee blows his whistle.

There is a roared chant of SHIELD and Loki can only blink at the yelling Thor center field, basking in the praise of thousands.

He doesn't need to hear it. He knows how good he is.

"So, first SHIELD soccer game, what'd ya think?" Steve asks, flushed bright pink and still panting from all the shouting he did.

Loki takes in a deep breath of the cold night air. "It was entertaining."

"Always are. Usually a little less violent against other schools, but the first game against HYDRA when we went over to Serpent Circle—"

"'Serpent Circle.'"

"Yeah, HYDRA Serpents? Well, there wasn't snow, but there were a few dirty tackles and Wade got a red card for kicking the ball at Thanos Titans' neck. Thanos is the guy with the dark purplish-red—wait, you know Thanos?"

Loki was nodding.

"We've met before," he replies.

"He's a bad guy. You don't want to get caught up with him. He's into that HYDRA pride stuff real deep, and he's always looking to recruit people. Buck'll tell you. He's been trying to get Buck to come to HYDRA for years because Buck's got a good left arm for football and can do book work pretty good."

Steve blows out a puff, eyes glassy. "HYDRA kids come to SHIELD anyway. SHIELD kids never go to HYDRA. Robert, you know, he went to HYDRA until his freshman year. He was close friends with Thanos and everything. Ask him, and I'm sure he'll give you a list of all the bad. Professor—"

"Steve, I've got it. You hate HYDRA," Loki says, rolling his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Steve Rogers may think himself a beacon of morality, but any boy who raises their hand in history to remind the class how evil the Nazis were as if this wasn't known, cannot be taken at their word.

His father went to HYDRA which leans in Steve's favor, but Nál went to HYDRA, and as infuriating as he has proven himself to be, he's simply pragmatic and extremely so. Pragmatism is more beneficial than not because emotions and feelings do not always accomplish what's needed.

Feelings are dynamic, but logic isn't.

With new facts, new variables, logic can be reexamined and reconfigured, yes, but the new logic is separate from the old in a way new feelings are not. Love can morph into hatred over time, and hatred can become love, so are they so different?

His mother was in love with Laufey somewhere in the beginning, but at the end, she hated him.

Thor… Loki disdained him not so long ago, but now, Loki…

Thor is his step-brother.

Loki and Thor are step-brothers, and if they weren't, if they were mere classmates, Loki would still disdain him. It is the emotional intimacy from being step-brothers that has confused Thor who likely has never felt emotions more complex than perhaps a football game he lost when he was yet a human being with human limitations.

Thor texts someone as Loki finishes the remnants of his oatmeal, hair washed of the muck of yesterday's game and tucked behind his ears.

"I didn't know that SHIELD was a one-man team."

Thor glances up, phone set aside. A smile starts at the corners of his mouth. "We aren't… usually. Yesterday was a special circumstance."

"The special circumstance being 'you' in a possible no-win situation? I've been told the game has ended in a draw years before, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that it didn't because of you."

"Thank you," he says, and Loki lifts an eyebrow in question. "I think that's the closest thing I will get to congratulations from you or any compliment of my abilities outside of bed."

"You don't need me to compliment you or congratulate you."

"But you can want something that you don't need. Though you can need something that you want too."

Loki hasn't been necessarily oblivious in that odd week where he and Thor were dating and he was unaware that they were. He has been selectively observant due to assessing the situation and deciding that further thought wasn't needed on certain aspects.

That thought remaining unidentified in his head shall retain its peace.

He however is no longer selectively observant of what Thor ensured he acknowledged.

Loki doesn't tell Thor that he is confused though he is because Thor will only push back.

"You're right," he says. "I don't want to feed your ego nor do I want to."

"Then you're going to hate tomorrow," Thor says with more viciousness in his voice than Loki's expecting. It's apparent that Thor's niceness has started to wean in the face of Loki's lack thereof.

He is almost proud.

Loki—

Tomorrow is Thor's birthday.

And every single person inside of SHIELD he encounters is quite aware of that.

"What'd you get Thor for his birthday?" Stark asks, less jaunty than usual. "All my guesses will get me in deep shit, so I'll leave it to you to give it to me straight."

Yes, he is expected to get Thor a gift. He's his step-brother.

Loki keeps an unbetraying face. "You'll have to wait and see tomorrow," he says to Stark and everyone else who follows though he omits the tomorrow for those not fortunate enough to count themselves among Thor's closest friends—"and Loki."

"Ben says you told him what you got me but refused to tell me," Thor says, eyes on Mrs. Munroe pointing at the board.

"Well, Ben is a liar."

"He won't be too happy to hear that."

"Serves him right for giving you a reason to try to get it out of me," Loki says, and Thor suppresses a smile. "You're positively transparent, Thor. Don't get into any criminal defense. They'll see right through your attempts to defend a murderer."

"I wouldn't defend a murderer!"

Mrs. Munroe glares Thor into silence.

Gifting giving isn't an American pastime to Loki's detriment. He cannot merely get out of this by evoking cultural differences, and though he'd like to, he cannot use this as protest against the capitalist ways society has fallen victim to.

Capitalism isn't so bad as all the clothes in Loki's closet would demonstrate, and Loki would never denigrate himself to some folk hero to simply avoid buying Thor a birthday present.

He takes his run earlier than he did Sunday and follows a route uptown rather than down.

Thor is a sentimental but self-unaware amalgamation of muscles and blond hair. Everything that he wants—that thought in Loki's head gives a stirring at this—he already has because Odin is no short of money for his "beloved boy" and people fall to Thor's feet for just a glimpse at the sole of his shoes.

Clothes, shoes, Thor has, and what Thor doesn't have, he likely doesn't want.

He slows to a jog and cuts through Central Park where he hasn't been since he and Thor finished their project for Earth Science.

The Dogs, multitudes of them in multitudes of colors and sizes and coats, tug on their leashes toward him, and he smiles at them, not their owners who are people and Loki feels a certain way toward people, and even stops to pet the ones that are so fervent in their attempts to get to him.

A gray puppy with eyes to match stands when he nears, and Loki halts and slows to a stroll.

The woman seated on the bench nods him permission, and he drops to a squat and runs his fingers over the short, soft hairs of the puppy's head.

It sniffs to his knees and laps at his wrists, and gods is it adorable.

"You're inexcusably cute,"

"Wow, he likes you," the woman says. "I saw you stop a little farther back, and I know a dog-lover with a see one. It's like a sixth sense, you know? How many do you have?"

"None," he replies, stroking the dog's ear.

Thor mentioned he had a dog, a Great Dane in fact, when he was younger.

This. This is what Thor needs.

"Well, you should look into it. There's so many dogs in the city that are looking for loving homes," she says. "In fact, this little guy is. He's the last of the litter left. They were all so cute that they went fast."

"Really?"

"Really," she says, and if she's mocking him, Loki can't care with something so adorable giving him that perpetually sad look dogs seem to wear. "I'll give you my number to get everything sorted out later and this little cutie can get a good home."

With the excitement and anticipation tingling in his veins, he runs down to 20th Street which borders SHIELD campus's northern side and only then does he go home.

A beautiful dog and a gift in one simple conversation. Life would be easy yet so unexciting if everything were that simple.

Pacing in his running gear, he calls the number the woman gave him, and she's delighted. She tells him about the ins and outs of dog care like Loki couldn't open his laptop and find that out for himself, and they agree on Saturday to meet at the address she gives him.

Before dinner, he catches his mother and Odin in the kitchen, talking rather than sharing loving looks. Nál has had a lasting effect on not just Loki. "Can we talk?" he asks, sitting down on one of the stools.

"Of course, Loki," Odin replies, Loki rolling his eyes at his back. "The floor is yours."

"Well, I'm getting a dog," he says. "Tomorrow is Thor's birthday, and he mentioned to me that he had a Great Dane when he was younger, so I am getting a Great Dane for him Saturday."

His mother turns around. "Loki, are you serious?"

"Clearly."

"You can't blame me for being skeptical that you're doing something as caring as this," she says, mouth tight. "You are many things but considerate and caring are not often among those."

"Hm, well, they are now. Don't tell Thor if you weren't aware what a birthday present entailed. I'm telling him myself."

Odin chuckles. "Of course not. I must say that this sounds splendid, Loki. I'm sure Thor will like it."

"Like what?" Thor asks, sitting down beside Loki.

"Your birthday gift," his mother replies as she turns around.

Thor glances at him, but Odin asks how many people he's bringing to his dinner, and Thor's distracted by the impending arrive of the day his arrogance can reign free and people will only encourage it with their well wishes.

Loki's the first one to say happy birthday.

It's convenient because Thor's walking toward the bathroom while he's walking away, and Thor's sleepily looking him, bathrobe covering from shoulder to mid-thigh, over and likely expecting Loki to not wish him happy birthday at all.

"Happy Birthday!" Jane and Steve exclaim, standing in front of the school with Tony.

"Yeah, Happy B-Day," Stark says ever so flippant. "How does it feel being 18?"

Thor gets a "Happy Birthday" from every person they pass, most of them unknown to Loki in both name and existence.

Truly, it's as if new students have manifested solely for the purpose of telling Thor what he's going to hear hundreds of times.

At lunch, Tony steps onto their table and makes the entire cafeteria sing birthday to Thor, and they all harmonize in a way not entirely unpleasant because SHIELD students are multifaceted. Thor stands and applauds, and Loki leans on his arm and beholds Thor in all his self-absorbed glory.

Even Dr. Strange, only interested in talking with Robert or Reed or not talking at all, wishes Thor a "Happy Birthday" before class starts.

When he sees Gwen in newsletter, she gives him a story to edit and tells him to wish Thor a "Happy Birthday" on her behalf.

Miss Hill's handing Thor what looks to be a massive birthday card, half her size in length and she's fairly tall for a woman, and when Loki arrives at his locker and Thor has the card in hand, he makes out the hundreds if not thousands of tiny signatures around the message "Happy Birthday from SHIELD's K-8."

Two months and Thor is the most popular guy in a campus of nearly 5,000.

Exaltation of a level Loki has never witnessed, not even of Skurge after the win of the Ice Hockey Championships.

He texts Sigyn, _'Save me_.'

"So, when am I getting this mysterious gift?" Thor asks, oversized card tucked under his arm. It looks ridiculous, completely ridiculous.

_'Ooh, more details.' – Sigyn_

_'Step-brother Thor is literally Thor. As terrible as it sounds.'_

"Sigyn?"

"Who else would it be?" Loki tucks his phone into his pocket. "Saturday."

Thor's eyes narrow. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to be horrendously… tricked?"

"Tricked? I've never tricked"—Thor's face grows serious—"you. I didn't trick you. I told you before."

"Well, you didn't make your meaning apparent," he says, and he turns away from Loki with his hand in the air for a cab.

Thor is mad at Loki for something he believes that he did, and he seems to expect Loki to apologize for an imagined slight against him.

Loki doesn't apologize, and the first time he apologizes will not be for something he didn't do even if it eases Thor's woes. Thor's woes consist solely of that for his life is so absolutely perfect and faultless that without Loki, he would have no worries except perhaps balancing all the sex, money, and popularity.

Thor does that fine now.

Inside one of the garment bags he unzips because that is his right as owner of the closet it resides in is a tuxedo in deep metallic gray.

There was some mention of this restaurant being the best of the best, and what fault of Loki's is it if his interpretation of formality stirs a few laps, dampens a few panties?

Nál is a tad forgiven.

The suit was tailored for the Loki Laufeyson and only him. It fits like a well-worn glove, lacking the stiffness of new menswear, and oh how does Loki love the slide of the fabric, something crisp yet smooth that moves with him and gives off a fascinating sheen in the light of his bedroom.

He's tying his tie when Thor knocks on his door and tells him they're leaving and that the restaurant's address is lying on the coffee table.

They don't even have the patience to wait for him, but this suit looks far too divine on Loki for him to do more than give a nonchalant acknowledgment.

"Hurry up." Thor thunders down the stairs, and Loki smiles small at himself in the mirror.

His tuxedo shimmers in the headlights as he crosses Greenwich Street.

Blue eyes—sky blue—meet his, and the deservedly smug, "Thor," at the tip of his tongue vanishes at the brown where blond should be, lines where there aren't, and no gold.

Loki knows family resemblances better than most. Whoever this man is, barely taller than Thor and just as muscled, counts himself among Thor's family tree.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." He sounds nearly American, but his smile is blindingly brilliant. "And I mean it. My teammates are married to supermodels, but you're divine. I'm Balder Vilison. It's nice to meet you."

A cousin then, obviously from Odin's side of the family.

If he weren't gifted with the charm Thor naturally exudes and Loki weren't as beautiful as Balder agrees, he would be cast an amused look and forgotten about.

Loki chuckles and walks toward the restaurant.

Balder of course opens the door. "Are you a model? I play hockey. I'm a center for the Los Angeles Kings." And of course he does. "And for the Swedish National Team because I'm from Sweden. Sorry, I'm talking so much about myself. What I want to say, I don't think it'd be remotely appropriate."

Loki's hand still on the dining room door handle, Balder's undresses him from behind, eyes flitting every which way over Loki. "Well," he says, "now I'm curious."

He steps inside and pauses to bask in the two dozen eyes that turn to him, to just look at the latest arrival but involuntarily remain fixated by him.

Thor's eyes widen over the glass at his mouth.

Every present he receives tonight will not nearly compare to what he sees, not until Loki's.

Thor stands from his chair, drink cast aside.

There are two empty seats across him.

"I hope I didn't cause anyone any inconvenience," Loki says. His seat is pulled out, and he glances his thanks to Balder.

Natasha, hair in tight curls, watches beside him with pursed red lips, ever so disapproving.

"No, of course not. Balder, my boy, I see you've met Loki," Odin says. "I'm glad that you both made it before they brought the appetizers."

Balder's brow furrows. "You're Loki?"

"The one and only," Stark quips, sunglasses on his collar.

"Uncle Odin's only mentioned you in passing, but I didn't imagine you'd look like… this." He clears his throat and looks to the narrow-eyed Thor, not withering under his glare like most would. "Vidar and Tyr send their 'happy birthday's. Tyr wants to welcome you to 'manhood' too."

"I'm more of a man that Tyr has ever been," Thor replies.

"I've never seen a more beautiful tuxedo," Loki's mother smiles tightly as though it hurts her to acknowledge that Nál isn't all evil. "You look gorgeous."

"Told you so," Balder whispers.

His mother cocks an eyebrow.

"Wait." Ben leans forward, pointing over at Balder. "Balder Vilison, you play for the Kings. Little hard to recognize you without the helmet and gear. That lockout's real unfortunate after winning the Cup and all them player awards."

Winning is in Thor's genes then.

"It's given me time for other things, and with what I have, I don't think I can complain. My teammates deserve the break to be with their families anyway," he says, genuinely humble, and with how Thor can be, it's a change. "And I wouldn't have been able to come here."

The appetizers prove to be more interesting than Loki is to the others at the table.

Balder smiles at him. "Tell me about yourself. Anything."

Loki takes a piece of appetizer. "I can put my legs behind my head and four languages." He takes a bite and chews as Balder considers the former.

Natasha rubs her temple as if Loki isn't taking her advice and now avoiding any consequences of his and Thor's "thing." She should be happy because this is a compromise, isn't it?

Balder looks like Thor, and the enraging parts of Thor are replaced by better alternatives.

"And how have you gotten that flexible?" he asks, and he chuckles. "I'm honestly curious."

"When I was 13, I went to Amsterdam with a friend of mine, and we went to a yoga studio her older sister had heard about. They were doing Ashtanga Yoga, and I was great at it. I've never stopped since."

"Dutch, Swedish, English, and…?"

"_Tu écoutes_," he says. Thor calls himself observant, but only when it suits him, he proves such. "French. I haven't been to France yet, but I'll find time."

"Snow covers everything here, but I hear from teammates that South France is warm this time of year. The lockout is supposed to end in January, so that leaves three weeks of time. You can speak French to get us around."

"I'd love to elope to France with a stranger, but I'm not all looks and won't sacrifice school for an excursion to Avignon or Nice."

Balder nods. "I understand. I went to UCLA—"

"He's 16," Thor says, and Balder's hand slips from the back of Loki's chair.

Thor-what does Stark always say?—the colossal cock block.

Snickers come from around the table, reactionary murmurs commending Thor's intrusion.

Loki's mother watches on folded hands, and she cannot judge him for this considering her 37 years to Odin's ancient 50.

Balder isn't that much older than Loki, 22 or 23 years old at most, and the age of consent is 15 in Sweden.

His eyes are steady. "If you want me to stop, I'll stop. My intentions aren't to make you uncomfortable. I meant what I said outside."

"I'm old enough to think for myself," he says, and Thor rolls his eyes. "I don't want you to stop."

"Get a damn room and have some respect," Luke says, and Steve is among the nods of agreement, blond head bobbing beyond Stark in Loki's periphery.

Balder apologizes, and Odin chuckles and replies, "The first time I met your aunt was not quite different actually."

Thor raises his voice to a quiet shout as he recounts some game—hockey possibly—to the very eager audience around the table.

His mother asks Balder how old he is, and he's only 22, turning 23 on Solstice, and she asks about UCLA, and he has a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology because "nature" is "a secondary passion" of his.

"Loki always attracts the ones that are handsome and smart," she says. "And you're likeable too. I'm almost forgiving the age difference."

Yes because his mother's approval was desperately needed.

Her disapproval hasn't stopped him before.

They all rise and herd closer than necessary at Thor's back when the garish red and silver iced tower of cake is produced with a singular 18 candle at its highest tier.

Loki remains on the opposite side of the table.

Stark shuffles in close to him because it would be so reprehensible to stand at any of the other empty spots or even, perhaps, at a reasonable distance. "I respect that, getting the taking him home to mom part out of the way," he whispers as the candle is lit. "You're getting slicker by the day, but that seems to be working out for you. Baldy's like… purple Thor. Am I the only one getting a purple vibe from him, kind of a lavender-ish blue? No, just me? But he's the two side of a six-sided dice and Thor's one. Similar enough but still different."

"We're doing this in Swedish," Barton shouts, and proceeds to say _Ja, må han leva_ in… alright Swedish.

Odin "declares" that they will all sing, grinning large at Thor's shoulder, and they, Thor's fellow sportsman, assorted friends, and Jane Foster—because it is her who's out of place rather than Loki—holler in support.

Thor basks in the screamed serenade, and Loki mouths along, hands drumming in the silk pockets of his pants.

They shout for him to make a wish, and Thor's eyes, pupils small in the candlelight, flick up to Loki before they shut, and he extinguishes the flame in a great exhale.

He doesn't want to know nor does he care what Thor wished for.

There is nothing that Thor wants enough to wish for anyway.

Nothing.

Loki swipes his finger in the icing of Balder's cake and sucks it into his mouth. "When are you going back to Los Angeles?"

"As of now, tomorrow morning." He holds up his fork with a small piece of red velvet cake on it. "Here, try it. I promise it tastes good."

"Feeding each other in public ranks among the worst PDA there is," Natasha says, quiet. "You might want to wait until you're official or have known each other for 24 hours until you campaign for most annoying couple."

Balder lifts an eyebrow, and Loki declines his offering.

"What hotel are you staying at until then?" Loki asks, fingers trailing up Balder's thigh.

"The Waldorf Astoria, but I… don't think it'd be a good idea if you came. I want to know you before we—not that I'm assuming that we are, but I want this to be… romantic. I'm an old-fashioned romantic."

Do people not understand that sex and romance can be independent or inclusive of each other? Sex can become romance if one tries hard enough—or not at all though that does not make Thor's belief any more valid.

"Isn't everyone?"

"If I'm going to be your first serious relationship, I wouldn't want to start it that way," Balder says.

"How do you know I haven't been in a serious relationship?"

"You're 16."

"So, it does bother you, my age."

"No, it doesn't bother me at all." He gives Loki an exasperated look. "I can't ignore it either. Thor might have been wrong to imply that it was a breaking point, but I am older than you, so I have to be… careful."

It must be deadly to treat Loki like a sovereign being with how everyone defaults to glass handling where he's involved.

Thor made that mistake several times early on, but he's the only one in recent times to discard the gloves and seize him hard and take him rough and fast and so, so _deep_ and—

Thor's staring back at him, and Loki's staring at Thor.

He glances away and wills the heat in his skin to cool.

"Everyone, if you'd all come downstairs," Odin says, "Thor's gift will be arriving shortly."

On the stairs, Balder's hand is pushed from his shoulder as Thor shoves between them, Robert, Luke, Ben, Johnny, Warren, and Bucky herding through their shoulders as if there wasn't ample staircase on the other sides of them.

Thor acts and the gang follows, yes?

An arm—that's not Balder's—drapes over his shoulders. "Gotta tell you how much I'm digging the tux. It's really conjuring up vibes I had about, yunno, you in that Zod costume I bled and sweat over. If I were a brainwashed citizen in your authoritarian regime, I'd be pretty stoked to bow in front of you."

"March 21st, your costume will finally get worn, Barton."

"I know, but you're into pulling the guilt trick, so I thought I'd try it myself. Didn't really work on you. No surprise there. Doubt it'll work even if I like tell you it's Thor's birthday, and you're all over his cousin when you two stopped screwing each other, what, Saturday, and it's clear to anybody he's not over it."

His arm leaving Loki's shoulder, Barton smirks. "What? Thought I was that big of a dope? Thor's almost as transparent as Rogers. Someone mention your name and he goes all 'after dark flashback,'" he says. "And yunno, he might've told me you gave the best blow jobs in the world. Post-game adrenaline does things to the guy's filter."

Obviously Natasha in all of her sly brilliance wouldn't putter around with an idiot, and while some of those skulking around SHIELD's halls may be benefitting from SHIELD's need for an outstanding athletic program to match their academics, Barton has proven himself capable thought on several occasions.

Loki's more impressed with his acting skills than anything.

"Every day is Thor's birthday," he replies. "And there was not for him to be over."

Barton blows air through his teeth. "Whelp, Thor's not really on board with that. He's headed for full Ben & Jerry's rebound." He pats Loki's arm. "If you want Balder alive, you'll keep his hands to himself."

Hm, well, that was enlightening, particularly the part about 'Ben & Jerry's' whatever that may be.

His phone vibrates.

_'oh god made out with random (cute) guy at party so embarrassed make me feel better.' – Sigyn_

His tuxedo is bespoke Dolce & Gabbana. Sigyn will feel more than better.

"Take a picture for me," he tells Balder as he hands him his phone. He tucks hair behind his right ear and slides his hands into his pockets. He smiles but it's just a little curve of his lips and stares straight into the lens.

"Okay. 3, 2, 1—"

His ass is squeezed in a firm hand.

Barely, just barely does he not react.

The flash goes off.

Thor unhands him. "Sigyn will know what I look like now," he says, smirking, and how does he infuriate Loki like this and at the same time, ignite those primal urges?

Balder hands him back his phone, and Thor's back invading his space, leaning over his shoulder.

The picture is fine—they're very fine… together—and Sigyn will go into cardiac arrest.

"Send that one to me," Thor says. "I've needed a new profile picture on _Instagram_."

Of course Thor has an _Instagram_.

He shoves Thor away, and Thor chuckles and smiles and Loki rages. "Your birthday may make people submit to you, but it doesn't give you sovereignty of me."

"Loki, is everything alright?" Balder asks.

Thor rests a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. He's not so feisty when you've… subdued him."

Magnificent, bitter, petty asshole.

Balder's eyes widen, and Thor drops the façade and glares at Loki as he passes.

Whatever that 'Ben & Jerry's' is, hopefully it entitles agony for Thor.

"It's—"

"I don't care. Whatever happened in your past, it doesn't matter," Balder says, the _however_ lingering above his words. "But Thor—I don't want to get between you two more than I already have. Maybe when he's gotten over it—"

"There's nothing to get over," Loki says rather uselessly.

Balder tries to touch his face, but Loki flinches from his hand. He drops it and sighs. "We'll going to see each other again. Uncle Odin and Farbauti are having their wedding in June, and I'm a groomsmen. Thor's resilient, and by then, I doubt he'd have any motivation to try to sabotage."

Watching Balder go, it's quite fantastic, partly because his trousers fit awfully well but also because a part of Loki is actually glad for it! He's truly gone the way of the cognitively dissonant, hasn't he?

That evasive thought in his head gives just a bit, enough to weigh his heart and make running to the tip of Manhattan in the city's version of darkness seem appealing.

Thor's sitting in something large, chrome, reflective in all the city lights, and adorned with 'Range Rover' and absolutely beaming while Odin looks on with that self-satisfied face he's keen to wear.

"If I moved to Sweden, I'd like to think my dad would get my car out to me," Johnny's telling Ben. "My dad loves me. Everybody loves me. But, eh, not enough to get me a Fisker in the first place. Wait, I call shotgun!"

Thor turns warning eyes on them as they slide themselves inside. His mouth moves around inaudible words to Tony, presumably taunting Johnny, and through the glass, Thor looks at him.

Bass rumbles the ground, and their "oh"s erupt simultaneously. How charming.

He answers his phone.

Sigyn shrieks so loudly that those on the sidewalk turn to look at him. "Is that Dolce & Gabbana? Oh my god, you—you look like a god. Loki, I'm buying a plane ticket to New York City at this moment. That tuxedo is perfect."

At least she's not dead.

"It is. I—"

"And is that your step-brother? He's the perfect accessory for every outfit. Don't get rid of him."

As if Thor would allow that.

Hand covering the speaker, he asks Natasha if she'd like to catch a cab with him since Clint's piled into Thor's car and unlikely to crawl himself out of the mass of hulks. She shrugs and shoulder and tells him he's paying the fare.

Loki is generous in this tuxedo.

Sigyn tells him about the construction of a tuxedo, stopping every few words to scream about the one he wears.

"Loki, where are you going?" his mother calls after him. "We haven't had dessert."

"It's a school night," he replies, and Natasha snorts. "Sigyn, when you've calmed down and had a good night's sleep, call me."

"But—"

Natasha leans an arm on the seat of the cab, and in the beams of orange light that pass outside, the twist of her smirk's revealed. "So, are we acknowledging that I was right, or are we talking about how I was right and it was too late?"

"Too late for what? I didn't know there were any deadlines."

"You saying yes to that date with Thor was the deadline, Loki. If you were true to yourself, you would be in some fancy hotel suite with Thor's cousin. Self-sabotage gets the best of all of us."

"Why would I sabotage myself, and over what? Balder and I will have our time next summer if I'm interested."

"Thor won't let that happen tomorrow or seven months from now. Thought he'd be the possessive type, but I didn't expect him to go psycho ex-girlfriend before you guys were even official. He's full of surprises, that one."

Loki exhales. "What's Ben & Jerry's?"

"Ice cream that comes in little tubs in a bunch of different flavors. Why?" She chuckles. "Barton's running out of new material."

Ah, yes, crying into a bowl of ice cream as broken-hearted people are wont to do.

"Thor isn't broken-hearted. We had sex, not pledge our love for each other."

"We both know you aren't convinced of that. Like we both know it's not a one-way street."

He laughs, oh he laughs. "You're saying that I'm—I didn't know that Thor and I were 'dating' until he rejected a waitress and told me that my denial wasn't going to change reality. He's attractive, very attractive, and talented in several different ways, but I'm not interested in any relationship with Thor or disappointed that he was trying to push for something more and made denial impossible anymore."

The cab stops.

What did he say?

Natasha makes a sound. "Thanks for the ride, Laufeyson. See you at school tomorrow."

He wakes up at 5:00—Thor wakes up at 5:30—and passes in front of the Range Rover now parked behind his mother's car on his way to the waiting taxi cab.

Thor can drive his truck to SHIELD if it pleases him, but Loki will make his 20 minute voyage as he often has. He can drown in all the Ben & Jerry's ice cream he wants, and he can pretend that he's heart-broken if it makes himself feel better that he was very confused because of how moronic he is, and Loki will continue knowing that it was just sex because that is what it was, just sex between step-brothers.

"Hey, Mischief, you have a spine under there." Stark leans on Rick Jones' locker and points to the nape of his own neck, eyebrows raised.

There's a chill there, gooseflesh stood up since he slipped it into an easy bun. Like Nál's behind him, hand on his skin, and commending him for listening.

"Should've come along for the ride. We got hype in there. Was the after party of the year, until I have mine after formal. Goldie can have the title for the next two weeks. I don't mind. But we rocked Manhattan. There's a dark joke in there, but I'd feel guilty around Steve if I told it."

Loki fixes the loose locks behind his ears and shuts his locker. "I'll see you later, Stark."

Jane Foster has the gall to give him a _look_ when she sits down in Chemical and Physical Biology.

Thor can get the whole world on his side, and he'll be no more right.

"You've changed something. The hair." Erik snaps his fingers and grins. "You look like you hate the world a little less without it falling in your face."

He inhales. "I may look it, but I don't feel it," he replies. "The world still has people, and people continue to act in ways I hate."

"Can't argue with that."

Harry Osborn says that if he squints Loki looks "pretty enough to be a girl."

Harry Osborn gasps when Barton clicks him in the ass.

They're walking from History and Tony's rambling on about Emma Frost and his "early morning rendezvous" when Thor makes his first appearance in Loki's day, and Loki averts his eyes from where he strides down the hall, not because he is dreading seeing Thor or anything of that sort but because he doesn't wish to waste the effort of taking him all in—and there is a lot of Thor.

"Loki, are you coming?" Steve asks.

He's stopped.

Thor is far too much effort as a person.

"I'll see you in Psychology." He quickly goes for the stairwell.

Thor shouts his name, and the door closing behind Loki silences him.

Erik invites him in, Charles seated on the other side of his desk, finger to his temple, and Loki takes a seat where he does in Organic Chemistry.

"Loki, I quite like your hairstyle," Charles says. "Any issues you'd like to discuss that led you here to the cage Erik calls a classroom?"

He shakes his head, and Charles surprisingly leaves it at that.

Victor's vacant seat across Reed becomes his, and Wade throws his hand out wide and shouts, "Lady Von Doom has graced us with her gloomy presence. Altman, have some manners, kid. Bow."

Altman and Reed murmur their greetings and sit.

Thor's eyes set fire to his face as he sits beside Loki's vacant seat.

It's a test of control to not meet his gaze the entire period.

He's out of his seat at the bell and off before Thor can try to yell at him. It would destroy Thor to allow Loki his solitude and silence when Loki is within the vicinity. Proximity begs for him to provide Loki company, whether irate or otherwise, when it's clearly not needed.

"It's nice to see you too," Thor tells him as Loki sits down in Earth Science. He's blond and blue in Loki's periphery, and of course, ever so righteously angry as well. It's grown in the ten periods. "I would've given you a ride if you waited."

"I didn't want one," he says quietly as Mrs. Munroe begins to speak.

Thor finishes his warm-up earlier than usual, and Loki sighs and focuses harder on his, drawing the simple process out for all its sanctuary. "It's alright to accept generosity."

"I don't want your generosity either."

"Oh, yes, you only wanted sex," he hisses.

Loki looks up. Somehow, no one's heard Thor. "You're right. You're not giving me that anymore, so we really have no need to talk unless it's necessary. Like I made that clear, you made it clear that we were step-brothers and not friends."

He looks momentarily confused before the realization dawns. "Loki, I—I was joking. You have the darkest sense of humor I know. You knew I was joking."

"I 'knew' you understood too, but clearly you didn't." He inhales. "Can you please just leave me alone? I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to talk about anything. I just want to be left alone."

Thor's hand falls to the table in defeat. "Okay. Okay, I'll… try."

Natasha gives him a "knowing"—but what does she know? Nothing!—look when he passes her outside the school, and Loki wants to scream and hit and cry because this, this not thinking but knowing, actually knowing, is not what he was trained for.

He is a realist, a rational person, and there is nothing remotely rational about being in denial. Though what he's in denial of, he doesn't quite know.

No, he knows, but he can't allow himself to think that forbidden—when have morals mattered to Loki?—thought, so he doesn't actually know in the sense that he cannot invoke the thought while he lies back in bed and traces the swirls of his ceiling, that he cannot even attempt to purge it when the lump in his throat grows heavier as he holds his head in his hands over a book and hears the firm footsteps down the hall.

This isn't realism nor is it rationality.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Charles asks as Loki joins them for lunch again, an extra wrapped something set aside atop Erik's desk because of Loki's recent predictability.

"No."

Thor looks him over in his usual seat beside him. He lifts his chair rather than sitting it in and as though the chair were weightless, carries it to Robert and Natasha's table where he sets it down and grinningly falls into conversation.

How maudlin he has become, fawning over his smile from afar like it was lost to him.

"You still hitting up 'Thor Bash 2012' or did the invitation, you know, go away when you told the poor guy to kick rocks?"

"I have other plans," he replies, and Tony's shoulders heave.

"Aw, shit, Doomy is coming back Monday. You giving him a homecoming—"

"They aren't with Victor, and I have no choice."

Tony sucks his teeth. "Ah, Uncle Ice is taking the sleigh reigns. I'll send you pictures. Thor says it's gonna be the best party I've ever gone to, and I'm the emperor of parties—"

"Not exactly a title you should be proud of, Tony," says Steve,

"—so I'm not missing that for the world. You don't seem like much of a partier anyway. Too moody, would probably kill the vibes anyway. But, you know, could surprise us all and pull a Steve on the dance floor. Guy can get down."

Steve shrugs a shoulder, grinning. "What can I say? I've learned from one of the best."

Stark frowns.

They all have woes inside.

Miss Hill cautions about partying safely over the PA system while Pepper and Gwen excitedly whisper about tonight and how glad they are for the break—as if their schoolwork is so hard—and Loki simultaneously curses and thanks the dismissal bell from liberation from hysteria about Thor's festival of egocentrism.

Thor's shouting at someone through the phone as he barrels up the stairs, and Loki buttons his blazer.

It's blue velour and washes the green from his eyes.

There's a knock at the door, too light to be his.

Loki inhales through his nose and tells them to come in.

"I'm still not used to seeing you with your hair up," his mother says.

He slides his phone into his pocket.

"Blue is such a nice color on you. With all the green you wear, I'd almost forgotten."

Compliments don't change what she did, particularly ones he's quite aware of.

"Loki, you don't have to go tonight. Whatever Nál may have said to you, he doesn't have as much authority as he'd like you to believe. You should go to Thor's party and have fun with people your age." _People I know won't tell you how much of a hypocrite I am_.

"I know," he says.

He moves past her carefully so they don't touch.

He shrugs on his jacket as a door opens upstairs and rapid footsteps follow.

Thor savors making Loki's life difficult with these long gazes that are simply unfair to his self-control. With his pupils large enough to see and his irises thin rims of electric blue and fair, curved lashes, how was Loki ever expected to go about his way and not freeze under their focus?

He's an overlarge golden retriever.

"I got you a dog."

Thor squints at him.

Loki's phone vibrates. Nál's waiting outside.

"Have a good night, Thor."

If Thor says it, he doesn't hear it from behind the closed door.

Nál gives him a once over and says that he'd look far better with a haircut but he looks "better." Loki tells him that the gray Dolce & Gabbana tux looked perfect on him, and Nál sucks his teeth and says, "Ísgerðr isn't paid to be tasteless."

No, she's paid to put up with Nál.

Evidently many people are for suits and skirts bearing the same badge watermarked with the ice dagger—all with the same black hair, blue eyes, and above average height—incline their heads at Nál's cold introductions of Loki.

To those without a badge at their breast, Nál grins and touches Loki's shoulder and presents Loki to them as though he has been delivered by the gods themselves.

"He attends SHIELD Academy."

"Hm, isn't that the school that Howard Stark and Norman Osborn's sons go to?" Malcolm Kith, some Englishman with prematurely white hair, stares Loki down with his beady eyes. "I cannot imagine what it's like having that kind of competition and knowing that there is no winning. I suppose it's not such a competition then, is it?"

Harry Osborn would rather flaunt his loafers and looks than do more work than the bare minimum, and Stark's priorities as of now are conquering Emma Frost while subtly wooing Steve.

The latter may never happen, but Stark's brilliance has made the former succeed.

"If Loki applied himself, he could surpass the likes of Nathaniel Richards' prodigy. As he is now, he's excelling in what he settles for."

Malcolm snorts. "There is nothing excellent about settling, Nál. Laufey showed me that on the several occasions we met. He was a shrewd man who did what was needed to get what he had to. Your nephew should learn that now before he enters the business world."

"Loki has lots of time before that happens," Nál says, and the hand on Loki's shoulder leads him through the rows of tables, Nál greeting people they pass.

Loki doesn't settle. He does what he wants, and if that's settling—it's not.

He applies himself fine. SHIELD is marginally harder than his old school, and his grades would have risen if it were possible.

"Laufey's choice of associates has unfortunately fallen to me," Nál says as Loki sits at a table set for two. "Malcolm Kith is the better of the lot."

Loki isn't expecting him to rub a comforting hand on his shoulder and tell him that Malcolm was wrong. He is somewhat expecting the agreement in Nál's eyes, but Nál only looks extremely irritated.

It doesn't show when he brusquely addresses the room about "expanding involvement" and "future roles in efficiency."

Stark sends him blurry, terribly lit pictures, and phone hidden beneath a napkin and one eye on Nál, Loki flicks through them.

Nondescript heads and arms packed closely beneath strobe lights—a nightmare of sweat and unauthorized touching-Barton with an arm thrown around Stark, Stark's sunglasses on and Barton's hand occupied with something dark red in a glass, Steve with his arms around Bucky's neck, mouth open mid-scream, Parker and Osborn smirking at each other, Osborn's hand on his chest.

Thor pressed against that brunette Pym's always with, hands on her hips.

Good to see he's having a good time.

Nál's looking at him when he turns from his phone but still talking to the entire room, firm and charming.

They give him a standing ovation.

Nál knows his buzzwords.

Sitting there across his uncle while they eat, eyes watch him as if he's liable to implode at any moment. People and their curiosity, their ignorance and their ensuing fear and revulsion, it's all so predictable. If Loki were stupid—if he "settled"—he'd ignore this trait of humanity and not retract from the gazes of a hall full of strangers.

He'd enjoy conversing with people whose bland suits are as designer as his and chunky wristwatches cost figures of six if their words weren't laced with condescension when the topic of his spectacular schoolmates inevitably comes up and they didn't tend to follow with a comment on their disbelief that he—him, a 16 year old boy quite ceremoniously thrown into this life—is the son of Laufey.

Is it the lack of six or so inches? Or the excess hair on the sides of his head? The few dozen less pounds of muscle or perhaps the menacing grin he can't bring himself to wear? Is it SHIELD?

"Excuse me, Loki?" A man steps forward with an extended hand, and he smiles a smile that Loki unfortunately knows from those accidental ass flashes in the gym locker room, wide and borderline deranged. "I've been looking for you, but you're hard to find. Everyone's seen you but don't seem to know where you are. I'm Norman Osborn. It's nice to meet you."

They shake hands. It's the 51st time Loki has tonight.

"Harry tells me about you all the time. He said you were a bright boy, and I'll admit I was impressed. He's gone to school with Anthony, Reed, and Henry since they were boys. Harry might not play the part, but praise from him means a lot," Norman says, and he exhales. "Would you mind going somewhere else to talk? You're probably getting tired of all these stuffy people by now anyway."

Unlike Harry, Norman has good ideas.

There are few in the hallway, and they hiss into phones and pace at the other end, where they can't hold out their hand for an expectant shake and smile patronizingly and ask him all about himself.

"Your father hated us SHIELD kids and so did your uncle. I think one caused the other really. He hated me. He hated Howard. He hated Nate. It's good to see you came to SHIELD. The education is the best high school education in the world. Exeter, Harrow, they're all miles behind. The proselytizing might get heavy-handed, but you're not the type to fall in line. SHIELD doesn't need any more robots roaming campus."

"It is partly funded by the United States Armed Forces," Loki replies. "They'd want their investment back."

"SHIELD's students aren't the type to go to war. They're the type to start them. One of the greatest generals in modern history Thaddeus Ross came out of SHIELD. He's one to protect his own. I am too. More than a few students have found I'm generous about things I believe in."

And Normal Osborn criticizes SHIELD for proselytizing. "Potential," he says. "Potential X, Potential Y," and Loki's not too foolish to not realize that he's talking about Loki's potential and how he could press the green button.

All these people are the same, different skins, different voices, but the same.

Norman's gesturing when footsteps, rubber-soled unlike the leather Loki's recently become conditioned to, strike the ground rapidly behind him.

Norman's eyes flit over his shoulder and his brow furrows.

Loki turns.

Thor's hand closes around his arm, a warm brand through Loki's blazer. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but Loki and I have something urgent to, er, attend to. " He pats Norman's arm. "Thank you for understanding."

Loki is far less than 450 pounds, so Thor pulls him with ease.

Thor smiles. What a terrible liar.

"What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you." He pushes Loki through the door first. "I've been to enough dinner parties with my father to know it's terrible. It was hard to have fun while knowing you were somewhere else miserable."

Thor opens the door of his chrome litter, but Loki doesn't get inside.

He grabs the door and considers closing it and walking away, not inside but away.

Thor halts, beginning to frown. Loathsome Loki ruining his hero fantasy, what will he do?

"I have sources that think otherwise," he says. "Though I don't care at all. You don't lie, and I simply prefer it that way."

"I lie, not with my mouth like you do, but I pretend all the time. I've been pretending this whole week."

If every road leads home then every conversation leads here.

"You were supposed to be leaving me alone."

"I said I'd try. I did, but you were in that and you said that you got me a dog and—I'm very good at resisting temptation, but you're… irresistible."

Loki rolls his eyes and gets inside the car.

Thor's chuckling to himself. "You knew that was coming."

"I'd hoped that you could at least resist that, but you clearly couldn't." He shifts in the crisp leather seats as they start to warm, and Thor dares to look at him, smug and knowing. "How did you know where I was?"

"Your mother told me. She was glad when I called. She hates your uncle more than I've ever seen someone hate another person."

His mother still tries to protect him from what he doesn't need to be protected from. She doesn't care at all about Loki's well-being, only her own.

Tinny Christmas music plays low from the stereo, trite lyrics sang in a faux saccharine manner.

"Are you seriously listening to this?"

"Jane and her girlfriend Darcy like to sing along to it. It's an 'ironic thing.'"

"Of course," he replies. He leans forward, seat buckle shrugged behind him, and pats the console in the pillars of orange street lights until it gives and reveals the glove box.

Thor has CDs. Good.

"So, where do you want to go?"

Röyksopp, Röyksopp, more Röyksopp, Swedish House Mafia, _Sibelius Complete Symphonies_. Of course Thor wasn't lying about his love for Jean Sibelius but actually having a CD is interesting.

"Don't you have your party to get back to?"

"They can have fun without me," he says. "And it's my party. If I want to spend an hour there and leave, I can."

_Kid A_ ends the holiday trash.

"I don't know." He tugs the holder from his hair and shakes it to fall freely over his shoulders, "Everything in Its Right Place" starting. "I don't 'want' to go anywhere. I'm fine like this."

He leans on his arm and pulls his legs onto the seat.

"Don't ruin my seats," Thor says, so Loki pointedly toes his shoes off and then pulls his legs back up. "What kind of dog did you get me?"

"He's a Great Dane puppy. The cutest dog I've ever seen. I'm meeting his current owner tomorrow afternoon to pick him up."

"And do you have everything he might need?" His tone is bordering on condescending as if Loki spontaneously decided that he was getting a god without any forethought. "Rabbits and dogs are quite different, Loki."

"I had no idea, Thor. I thought they were identical."

"Well, tomorrow, you and I can go shopping for supplies. I remember everything Slepnir needed."

So like Thor in his machismo man nature to insert himself with little reason beside some self-imposed duty to act as savior.

If Loki had the desire, he'd defer to Google rather than Thor, but unlike Thor, Google doesn't have large muscles capable of lifting 450 pounds and an ass Loki won't mind trailing after tomorrow.

They drive to Long Island, and Loki sets his feet atop the dashboard, humming along with Thom Yorke, and Thor chuckles long and dark and at a red light, tells him to take his feet down before Thor does.

"Your treatment of your car is disturbing," he says, tracing his socked toes on the contours. "If I were to jerk-off right now, your only worry would be of me getting cum on your precious seats." He undoes the button of his pants to punctuate his point.

Thor's eyebrows rise. "You can keep your feet up there," he mumbles, "and there are tissues in the center console."

It's less of an invitation and more of a challenge.

He grasps the zipper of his pants and tugs.

Thor's eyes rake across him, down to his open fly, and Loki bites the inside of his lips to stop a pathetic groan from escaping them before he's even touched himself. He can't take him apart with his eyes.

Loki won't let him.

He drags the heel of his hand down the front of his briefs, the cotton damp and hot as if his hand were on him, just holding him, and his gut tightens and wants—no needs. The air is cool—anything compared to Thor's touch will be cool—and he grips himself hard and just barely resists the urge to relieve the ache now.

Thor's tongue drags across his lower lip, slicking it with saliva.

Rough and warm and wet, and _oh_, Loki presses his thumb into the slit and smears the sticky wet around the head. He grits his teeth and drags his fist down till it's flush with the coarse hair there, and where he doesn't have calluses, where the hands on the steering wheel do, he imagines there were, sliding against his skin in a grip so tight that it almost hurts.

Their eyes meet.

He thrusts into his fist, slow and lazy. "I think of you fucking me when I touch myself," he says, words slurred. "Even before. You're so big, and I knew your cock was too. Thinking about it driving into me…"

He closes his eyes and remembers the firm hands on his ass holding him open, the burn and stretch of Thor inside him. He wants that again, needs it, and he'll have it. He'll have Thor above him, below him, behind him, and Thor will be his.

Golden, warm Thor undoing him from the inside out.

He opens his eyes, and Thor's there, close enough to kiss.

Thor touches him, thigh fingers slotting with and over Loki's, and Loki chokes on a moan as he says, ever so firm, "Cum for me."

He does, hand coming undone as Thor jerks him through it, and his body clenches tight as wonderful shocks spread from bone to skin.

They can spend eternity like this, Thor's hand on Loki's cock in his beloved car and—Thor's lips on Loki's, wisps of stubble on his chin catching on Loki's and tickling his skin, and tongue tasting of salt—he swallowed it—and something sweet.

Thor didn't wipe his hands.

He didn't wipe his hands!

Thor's hand glistens with just the barest wet, and he smiles as he produces tissues. Now he does wipe his hands, but of his spit rather than Loki's cum, and Loki takes a deep breath as he tucks himself back into his pants.

The light's green, but the street's desolate.

Thor is silent as he drives onward, mouth curved into the slightest of smiles, and Loki has to look away and try to understand why he can look at him simply to look at him, not to fantasize of more, and be content.

Somewhere in the darkened urban sprawl, _Kid A_ becomes _Ágætis byrjun, _and the thought, the evasive one burrowed in the depths of his mind, stirs and comes forth just enough for Loki's heart to sink and prepare to evacuate from his body completely.

If Thor were to speak as they get out of the car, climb the various stairs, Loki would scream and asks him why it's him of all people who gets to do this to him. Loki's not a love struck fool with designs on eternal love nor is he a swooning case of hormones and irrationality.

He's thoughtful, and if he were ever infatuated, it would be pre-planned over a series of lengthy conversations. It wouldn't be from, from sex or white smiles or compassion.

He would know if he were… infatuated, and he clearly isn't for he doesn't crumple to the ground in agony when Thor leaves the kitchen after he's finished his morning tea nor does he call out his name when Thor resurfaces atop the stairs with his flannel shirt and car keys in hand.

If Loki were infatuated he'd sob at the loss of Thor's lips against his after they pull apart at the sound of Odin calling his usual, "You boys have a good time!" and the kiss would've been initiated with the intention of lasting indefinitely which it wasn't on Loki's end. He simply licks his lips, not to taste Thor though he does, and turns away from him without a part of his soul dying.

Thor may be one of the few if not the only person whose presence isn't utterly unwanted and Loki has no compunctions over only kissing, an underrated joy that Loki's recently discovered, but that is simply a product of Thor being Thor.

Perhaps attraction, but not infatuation or anything so ridiculous.

Thor explains himself to what sounds like Robert, and Loki considers the many harnesses.

He sets a silver one in the overflowing basket which likely weighs nothing to Thor.

"Nice color." Thor slips his phone back into his pocket.

"I know," he replies, and Thor sets a hand on his shoulder. "So, is Robert mad that you managed to throw an incredible party while not being present for most of the night?"

Thor drops yet another chew toy into the basket. "No, he thinks I made a mistake. Again."

He needs little further elaboration for Loki to understand what he or rather Robert refers to, but Loki could simply pretend to be ignorant and change the subject to avoid talking about what doesn't need to be talked about.

"If you enjoyed it, it's not a mistake."

Thor stares at him. "He's right. It was a mistake having sex with you in the first place, but I can't exactly go back in time, and now that I have, I can't seem to stop."

It's the word 'mistake,' it's a negative word, and Thor keeps using it to refer to the mind-blowing sex they have which is not negative at all.

"Then I'm glad you're not so infallible," he says, and Thor shakes his head and leads him to checkout.

Mistake or not, he doesn't completely mind when Thor interrupts him adjusting his hair and scarf to kiss him, hard and full of clashing teeth that reminds Loki of the scrape of them on the inside of his thighs.

The woman from Central Park waits with the puppy—Thor's puppy, and she's all smiles as he stands and works himself into an adorable frenzy. "Today's the day," she says, and Thor, he's blinking at the puppy as if it's the first time he's ever seen one.

Thor drops to his haunches, and the puppy melts in his hands at once.

"I see you're all prepared. Here's any of the paperwork you might need. He's all vaccinated, and I took him to the vet a few weeks after he was born. Um—alright, looks like he really likes you."

Thor's taken him out of the collar and leash and cradles him in his arms, and gods, it's… something.

Loki shakes her hand, and she wishes him luck "though you guys probably won't need it."

Thor puts the harness on him as though he were dressing an infant, eyes large and attentive of every movement his hands make, and he looks to Loki as he's finished, stroking the puppy's ears. "What's its name?"

"It doesn't have one," he replies. "It's yours to name."

Thor looks at him in disbelief. "I don't—wait, Fenrir." He beams. "Fenrir."

"Fenrir," he finds himself repeating, and Thor petting Fenrir with gentleness he rarely uses, it's far too perfect.

Fenrir's large, innocent eyes glimpsing between the both of them, it's perfect.

"God, Loki, I'm so in love with you it's not even funny." Thor's breathless, and again, it's perfect and so Loki replies, "I know, me too."

'I know, me too.'

He looks from Fenrir to Thor. "I mean, I—no, I'm not—I am, but—I didn't mean to say that."

Thor's brow furrows, and gods is Loki making this so much worse.

It's there, the thought.

He's in love with Thor.

His phone vibrates, and he takes it out to see it's Nál calling.

He trades one terrible conversation for another and flees in a cab he hails for the financial district.


	10. Chapter 10

10. Tony Stark: Love Struck Idiot?!

He bangs on the door to Nál's condo, bouncing to and fro on the toes of his boots.

Nál's glacial regard of him does little to discourage the heat of mortification that's enveloped him since he said _that_ to Thor and, and meant it! "I can count on you for an initial appearance, but not for a final one. Interesting."

Loki inhales and blinks away that stinging sensation from the air outside. "Can I come in?"

"Yes, and you'll leave when I tell you to. You need to put your hair up."

Perhaps he should thank Thor and his irritating way of making Loki act in certain ways he wouldn't otherwise for Nál's scathing words hold little bite when compared to the chaos that's engulfed his mind.

Loki shucks his outer layers off and the gust of cold that touches his skin is welcoming.

"Norman Osborn complained that some blond boy interrupted your conversation," Nál says. "The others were more positive in their comments. Many of them spoke of how much you were wasting your potential loitering in SHIELD's ranks, but many of them weren't fortunate enough to attend HYDRA let alone SHIELD."

He should sit and gather himself, but if he sits, he may think beyond the surface and place himself farther in an already expanding hole. He crosses his arms, fingers on his chin, and paces in front of a chaise rather than standing and allowing Nál to see him fidget like a child.

He pauses in his examination of the dark wood floor he's liable to wearing footsteps into and casts a glance around. He supposes he could remain here until he inevitably dies from old age without worrying about going insane from isolation with the walls of windows to the outside world though that may comprise ants on the sidewalk down below and the stray person in the buildings around.

"Why are you so upset?" Nál lounges, arms spread and legs crossed, and cocks an eyebrow at him.

"I'm in love with Thor."

Loki knows when he's telling a lie. Even if he may convince himself that it's a truth, intrinsically, he knows that it's still a lie. It tastes sharp on his tongue and makes his heart beat a tad faster in anticipation.

All it tastes like is the remnants of Thor.

"That's… unfortunate."

"I know." He sits because they're going to talk about this, and with talking, thinking is implied. Loki's not nearly foolish enough to have that capability of thoughtless speech. "I can't believe it's happened. Me in love with Thor? Absurd."

"I would've thought it'd be the other way around, particularly with his appearance Friday," Nál says and his eyes narrow slightly, the amused corners of his mouth turning downward. He crosses his arms, the understated muscles in his arms flexing beneath his sweater. "This is unacceptable."

"I know."

"Do you? If you knew, you would've removed yourself from the situation before it reached this point, but seeing as how you're bordering on hysterics, you didn't. You and Laufey, impulsive and overemotional. I'm glad to have been spared from that gene."

Loki isn't impulsive. He gave this some thought, quite a bit of thought, before he pursued Thor, and the consequences were simply the two of them ceasing any friendly relationship, not the complete opposite where they're more than friendly.

Nál holds a hand over his mouth, eyes on the buildings beyond the balcony.

"Nothing is going to happen from this," he says. "Thor is still Thor, and there is absolutely no way I'd be interested in a… relationship with him."

Thor with his shout-talking and his large, eager hands and his suffocating presence and his ever-present sun-bright grin and his deep, echoing laugh and his warmth…

"You're step-brothers and Odin Borson happens to be his father. Of course nothing is going to happen from this. Odin may present a Saint Nicholas façade, but it is only that. He may not be a religious man, but he's one of tradition, and this relationship of yours isn't traditional in the least."

Thor and his interchangeable reverence and fear of Odin didn't root in nothing, Loki's known that, and Odin or not, a step-brother, step-brother relationship wouldn't be supported by any step-father—or step-mother. Loki's mother wouldn't be so receptive either.

"His disapproval wouldn't be nonsensical. If any relationship you two were to pursue went wrong, it would splinter a developing family and make for awkward family functions. Your grandfather and grandmother avoid that by not having them at all. He's taken to a private island to drink himself into a stupor, and she's finally found freedom in marriage."

Yes, he does have a grandmother and grandfather though he wasn't sure if they'd lived beyond the brief encounter he had with them at Laufey's funeral, the two of them an arm's length away from each other and addressing him as if the other didn't exist.

He and Thor could've done well like that, sitting at the breakfast table and going about their lives as if the chair beside their own was empty. That was the course of action Loki planned to take if their arrangement took a bad turn.

If it had, Loki would've known how to handle that.

"Farbauti would commit suicide if she knew." Nál chuckles. "Her perfect new life destroyed not by me but by her own obliviousness to what's clearly in front of her or what's clearly transpiring between her relatively attractive step-son and homosexual teenaged son. She's never had the skill of thinking ahead." He stands. "If she had, she wouldn't have married my brother."

Nál has a point. Nál always has a point.

His mother would scream and throw her precious vases and ask Loki questions they both know he can't answer until it somehow leads to Laufey because any argument they get into leads to his grave where his mother seemingly left a large part of his sanity.

Laufey was in no way the suppressor of her more deranged traits of personality, but his also deranged ways proved to be equal if not superior to hers where every disagreement was a gridlock. A phone call or the doorbell would make one of them forfeit, and occasionally, Loki if he was feeling suicidal.

Perhaps he got brave toward the end, but tiredness over their constant screaming is likelier.

He prefers to not remember too much.

"Seeing as how Norman Osborn sung praise of you becoming Ymir himself, what did you two actually talk about?"

There's relief that drenches him when behind the door isn't the impersonal, azure study that Laufey's always framed by in most of the memories he has of him but something light and full of books—there were books but Laufey didn't want him to touch them.

Nál sits behind the desk, rows of collegiate volumes at his back, and Loki takes a seat in front of him without the urge to run and hide. He drops a hair band on the desk and Loki pulls his hair into a bun as Nál stares at him, waiting for an answer.

"Potential," Loki says, "like everyone else. He sees mine as something that could help him."

"Osborn is shrewd and nearly as ruthless I can be on occasion. He's a self-made man and intends to do whatever it takes to retain the position he's carved for himself. I respect him for that, but he won't be getting his hands on you."

"He was selling me the idea of working for him. It wasn't all that appealing."

Nál leans back in his chair and gestures around them. "It shouldn't be because this is your birthright. I may be warming the seat, but I have no delusions that I'm meant to for much longer. Your grandfather has an ideal that you're to pick up where Laufey left off."

"I'm 16."

"He doesn't care. He was 20 when his father made him president and negotiated deals under the table with the Soviet Union. He's well-aware that you're not made of the same mettle that he is but resilient nonetheless. Father knew of Laufey's… irritability."

Oh how he could laugh. 'Irritability' as though Laufey were merely bothered and testy.

Laufey respected him. If he'd said something—

Loki takes a calming breath and grasps the metal arms of the chair.

"He continues to ask for the means to talk to you himself, but I've spared you that. When he tires of the bikini-clad women, he'll employ his own resources."

Flecks of fake snow float suspended in the glycol and glycerin—Kitty Pryde asked Erik about that Thursday to make a snow globe for Bobby Drake; how romantic—and a semi-transparent ice dagger plunges through a block of fake ice embossed with a Runic J.

Warmongering made decorative.

Nál leaves at a phone call, and Loki dashes away thoughts of Thor—or why he hasn't called to attempt some romantic comedy-esque phone call where he convinces Loki to meet him tonight at Central Park where they'll compromise—as he takes in the shelves of austere spines all identical save for the differing volume numbers and rare color change.

People like Loki, who aren't merely intelligent but beyond that, they don't have a limited choice of careers but a truly unlimited one from the most simple, menial labor to that that taxes the mind in ways most people couldn't fathom. If he hadn't come here, he would've studied math in university to Sigyn's disgust and done something with that.

Business, Loki knows the gist of a large scale transaction, but Laufey's dealings were simply that, Laufey's. His mother never spoke of any inheritances other than an impressive trust fund she enthused would allow him to "be happy."

'Unlimited potential.'

Loki opens the first volume of a book in tiny print on thin pages and sits in Nál's chair.

Ísgerðr knocks on the open door when the sun's a half-circle over the Hudson and Loki's partially forgotten that thing that he told Thor in favor of learning the ins and outs of rudimentary finance. She lifts a grocery bag. "Nál's told me to feed you."

He eats as the sun sets, drumming his fingers on the counter.

"Since you're staying tonight, I'll let you know that the closet and drawers are already sufficiently filled with enough clothes and to your measurements. Nál had a second SHIELD blazer ordered for you, so you don't need to worry about Monday."

Or going home to get his blazer and encountering Thor either.

"I've had a key cut for you, and it's on the boudoir next to your blazer. Nál won't be home until 11:30, but he's told me to tell you he encourages you to stay as long as you may need."

How long could he possibly need to overcome this, this idiotic thing? With how absurd his feelings have taken the turn for, it's unknown, and there are not many things unknown to him, especially those involving his own feelings.

In the gray bedroom, the duplicate key and SHIELD blazer are there, but _he_ hasn't been and the impeccable bed has never been rumpled and stickied. The view, like all the views in Nál's apartment, are of the gorgeous cityscape and river beyond yet Loki stands at the window and laments.

Tony texts him.

_'WHERE R U?'_

_'THOR IS LOOKING FOR YOU.'_

_'CAME TO MY HOUSE THEN TO NATASHA's THEN STEVE'S. IN A HURRY.'_

_'NONE OF US HAVE SEEN YOU SO.'_

_'HE ASKED ME IF I HAD victor's NUMBER LOKI.'_

_'I DO.'_

_'BUT STILL. HES DESEPERATE.'_

If he fled to Victor like this, he'd be promptly turned away.

_'I'm at my uncle's. I'm fine. Pass it on.'_

Then he takes a deep breath and composes a text to Thor.

_'I'm at Nál's. Take care of Fenrir.'_

Thor will, he knows that.

When he opens his eyes to the rapping on the door, there's no text there save for several from Tony, one from Clint, and one from Steve stating: _'You should really talk to him._'

Nál enters as he's pushing the blanket from himself, a cup of wafting the scent of fine coffee in hand. "Your mother called me last night and demanded that I bring you home. It was quite fun to hang up on her and screen the several calls that followed."

Tony's texts are all in the same all capital letter ramblings.

_'You dick._' – _Barton_

His mother finally calls him as he's eating the breakfast Loki's slightly surprised Nál made, and Nál's encouragement to ignore the call supplements his nonexistent desire to answer the call and withstand her screaming at this hour.

"This separation from the Borson household will solve many of your problems," Nál says. "Your mother's faux apologetics, Odin's attempts to impose himself, and Thor's… infatuation with you are all limited here. Thor of course goes to SHIELD, but he's in what two of your classes and avoidable."

Well, Thor feels anything but when Nál him drives up to SHIELD Monday morning and expects a crowd of indignant advocates for Thor's cause.

"I'll be here at 3:15 barring any sudden circumstances," Nál says, and Loki braces himself for the onslaught of questions about Thor's melancholy retreat into himself as he steps onto the sparse—unusually so—sidewalk.

However, none comes as he traverses the cement to SHIELD proper nor when he enters the marginally more populated lobby where no braying Stark or disapproving Steve await him.

It would be far too… optimistic to assume they've learned their lessons regarding inserting themselves into Loki's person whereabouts that just happen to include Thor more than often.

Really, far too optimistic.

A small mob—Robert, Luke, Tony, Steve, Barton—gathers at the end of the corridor at his locker.

He takes a step backward when Robert points a finger at him and beckons him forth with it, and as if Robert were in command of gravity itself, Loki cannot help but walk forward to the culmination of their irritating way of interfering.

Loki exhales and nods toward his locker. "I can't get to my locker."

"What the hell did you do to Thor, huh?" Robert asks. "Past week, guy's been crying on me and Luke's shoulders about you being 'impossible,' and now he's—"

"'Things will all work themselves out in time.' He said it in Swedish, but we Google translated that shit," Luke says.

"Thor's transparent. Can't lie worth a damn. And all I'm seeing is optimism," Robert says. "What happened with you two? One second, he's showing up at my door with a dog saying all this stuff about needing to be patient, not answering any of my questions, and then we're at the park and he's smiling and telling me that he's fine."

"And he wasn't fine when he showed up at my doorstep," Stark interjects.

"Well, I got him the dog."

Their eyebrows all lift as if Loki's an anti-animal monster incapable of doing anything remotely nice.

"I figured that but couldn't get any answers out of him," Robert says. "Me and Luke thought so, but it was… out of character for you."

Barton moves aside, and Loki finally gets to his locker. "No one ever buys me a dog for my birthday."

"Because John Aaron would kill you," Steve says. "And that was nice of you, Loki. Whatever else you did to Thor, I don't think was anywhere that nice, but maybe we're all wrong. Thor could be happy about that."

"Or," Stark says, "Loki did something totally bad, and Thor's so mad about it that he's gone psycho."

"Shut up, Stark," comes instantly from four different mouths, his included.

At Robert's behest, they leave him to his morning routine, pitchforks stowed away for another time, but what Robert said about Thor spouting patience as some cure for all the worlds ails, it doesn't sit as well as the previously thought solemn, heart-broken ideal of Thor would have.

Robert wasn't lying for Thor greets him after History with a small smile, and it's as genuine as they always are.

"Was your uncle's alright?" he asks, and Loki nods albeit slowly. Thor should be ignoring him or pestering him for answers, but he does neither. "Fenrir's beloved. My father's already staked claim on him when I leave for college."

Hm, yes, Thor is going to 'leave' for college.

Cambridge in England, an ocean away like Sigyn.

"If anyone could stake claim, it would be me. I got him."

"You'll have to tell my father that. I'd support you. For the short time I saw you together, he loves you."

On those words there should be bitterness, but there is none. How bizarre.

Natasha arches an eyebrow as he and Thor sit. He has no explanation.

"I'm going to train him. Father and I trained Slepnir together, and he was the best-behaved dog I've met," he says. "I honestly can't believe you remembered a conversation we had our first day of school. I know that you listen, but it's still surprising."

It's hard to not listen to Thor with how loud he speaks, but Loki's good at blocking at loud noises.

"One of us has to listen."

Thor nudges him with his elbow. "I listen to you. I like listening you. You have the sexiest voice I've ever heard."

Tony beats on his chest as he chokes.

He made the mistake of saying "me too" the last time Thor said something he felt in return, but this time Loki merely hums and looks away from Thor and his admiring eyes.

Thor knows that he feels the same way. In all of his egotism, he would only see the positives in that, in Loki under his thrall like the droves of girls and boys that've ever encountered Thor Odinson.

What an arrogant asshole.

The sooner Loki is past this, the better.

Tony stands up on the table with his hands cupped around his mouth and shouts for everyone to be quiet because he has an announcement.

Oh, yes, what this Monday needs is a dose of Tony Stark's genius words.

"Everyone, the annual Tony Stark Winter Formal party is going to be held after the Winter Formal. Obviously. And you all are invited. Actually, everyone is invited as long as you go here. Well, if you don't go here then you wouldn't be here right now, but—well, anyway, all, er, poison will be provided by yours truly. Best of the best, aged, um, poison. None of that cheap poison you buy at your corner store."

"Tell me what corner stores you go to," Peter shouts.

"Maybe when you're older, buddy! So it 'ends' at 9:00 the next morning, so be out by then, or Jarvis will just be taking out a little bit more trash than usual. Be there. It's where all the stories for the rest of the year are made. Thank me later!"

Tony sits back down and a cacophony of voices erupts around them. He looks far too self-satisfied. "Mischief, hope you know I don't mean chloroform. You won't be killing me that easily though I know it's all love. You're just in denial right now."

Perhaps a week ago.

"Better get your ass there though, Laufeyson." Stark points a French fry in his direction. "You're going to come and get wasted out of your mind. No surprise plans."

"Whatever," he replies. He won't even be going to formal which he assumes disqualifies him from attending the after-party.

Stark doesn't seem to care about the formal so much however.

Loki nods Steve his thanks as he opens the door to the second floor and stops two steps through it at the sight of deep brown eyes under a deep brow staring straight into him.

Victor's back.

He touches Victor's shoulders, ever so tense, and takes in the relatively unchanged face, the thin, nigh-invisible line tracing the side of his face from temple to jawline that was a bleeding, open wound just weeks ago. If he hadn't been there, he wouldn't notice.

"Stop staring at me," Victor says through gritted teeth, and Loki runs his hand down Victor's shoulder and drops it to his side with a laugh.

"You look great as usual."

"I don't need your flattery." He turns his face in a pale imitation of shame encrusted with Victor's unwavering confidence.

"I wouldn't waste my flattery on you. You don't need it because you're aware of how attractive you are. If you weren't, I wouldn't have allowed you to… wine and dine me," he says, and Victor scrutinizes him. "I can barely tell. It's odd."

Victor blinks. "I couldn't have my face marred by something so… grotesque." He grasps Loki's shoulder and guides him around. "We can talk further in Creative Writing."

Dr. Strange seems happy to see Victor.

"It's pretty freaking how you and Doomy are friends. He hates everyone, literally everyone except maybe Bruce sometimes. Sometimes as in once ever, and that was before Bruce tried to kill him."

"Victor's intriguing and intelligent," Loki replies.

"He's also the rudest person in the entire world, but hey, we've all got our ways. How about no. All the good in Victor's way, way outweighed by the bad. I think he just likes you and wants to finish what we fortunately stopped from happening."

Actually, Stark and company accelerated the night though they think that Loki went to mope alone somewhere after they attempt to ruin their date.

Thor looks at him with a furrowed brow.

"I honestly don't care what you or anyone else thinks, Stark."

Charles claps a hand on Victor's shoulder that is shrugged off as Victor sits in his usual seat, and Loki, to Tony's voiced chagrin, takes one next to him. Charles tells them that he's begun reading through their play and that they're to begin "Fiction Writing."

SHIELD where the curriculum is never uninteresting.

"Thanos Titan's taken an interest in you," Victor says, too quiet for Steve to become indignant at the mention of that name and rant about how terrible he supposedly is.

"He sent one of his underlings to talk to me during the SHIELD-HYDRA football game. We haven't spoken since we met at your apartment."

"Thanos isn't nearly foolish enough to directly contact you with SHIELD students nearby. You would never hear the end of that, and he would never get the chance to again. Thanos is not only despised. He's feared."

Thanos is tall, taller than Thor, and heavy with what's likely a hundred pounds of muscle, but so are several people Loki passes in the hallways. None of them hold such a reputation as Thanos.

"What did Thanos do?"

"You should be asking 'what hasn't he done.'" And from Victor that isn't as frustrating as it would be from anyone else but rather an actual answer with far more weight than any listing of grievances the world has against Thanos Titan.

Loki's found his Skurge then, hasn't he?

Victor stops him in the hall with a hand on his arm and lips inches away from Loki's ear, says, "He and I interact because we have a mutual understanding as counterparts, and he knows that I'm worth his time. You should tread carefully."

He moves around Natasha without a glance back.

It'll take this mythical Thanos Titan to eradicate these feelings for Thor then. His emotions have always had a way of needing great lengths to satiate them, and those carnal ones that gnawed at him post-puberty were soothed by the paws of an oaf who saw the same opportunity Loki did, to "get off."

"Victor looked great for what happened to him," Thor says as they rise at the bell. "We may have our differences, but I'm glad he's alright."

"I am too."

Mrs. Munroe flashes him a grin as he passes.

"Are you coming home tonight?" Thor asks.

"No."

Thor nods, smile hesitant, and drags his fingers down Loki's arm, gooseflesh stirred beneath layers of fabric. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Nál's waiting with Tony propped in the passenger window and Steve admiring the car at his side.

"Mischief, hey, I was just telling your uncle that I've got a classic Rollie in the garage at our house upstate, and guess what? He has one too. I swear, if I don't marry you or Steve, I'm marrying him." Stark moves as Loki opens the passenger door. "I could go for the whole Sugar Daddy thing."

"I'm sure that would annoy Howard Stark in many ways," says Nál, actually amused by Stark's stupidity.

"Psh, you betcha. He'd join a monastery. Peace out, Mischief, possible future Husband." Tony has gall, and Loki can give him some respect for that, but for what he employs it, he cannot.

Nál gives a two-fingered salute that drips of the same sardonic humor Laufey was so fond of. "Tony Stark is more enjoyable than you made him seem. His intelligence doesn't make him insufferable as it's wont to do with teenagers."

"His delusion has infected you."

"Hm, how did avoiding Thor go? Well I assume. You're not moping about."

"It went as fine as it could," he replies.

His mother calls him at dinner and proceeds to texts him a demand for him to answer his phone since she "isn't paying the bill to leave a voicemail."

_'Ask Thor. I'm fine,' _is what he rewards her.

"Your mother wants you back by tonight," Thor says, leaning against Rick Jones' locker. "She says that she won't punish you so harshly if you're at dinner."

"Punish me? I think she's done enough of that the past 16 years. No, I won't be at dinner tonight or tomorrow night. As far as I'm aware, my uncle and mother retain a 49/51 custody agreement, and he's been so gracious to allow her his share the past nine years. She owes him nine years in return."

Thor sighs. "You can't stay away for nine years, Loki."

"Why not? Nál is keen to provide me with everything I need."

"Everything?"

He thusly walks away from Thor and his coy smile.

Thor spends far too much time with Stark and Barton and his hulk friends, and Loki spends far too much time with Thor.

It's irritatingly impossible to go long stretches of time without him suddenly obstructing Loki's periphery, all white teeth and impossibly vibrant shades of yellow. Loki is not so narcissistic to believe that Thor would devote his time to scheming on how to insert himself into Loki's journeys from class to class because SHIELD, in its great egalitarianism, will never allow him to merely skip a period or three. But Loki is not so foolish to not see that Thor's… love—how that word almost makes him wretch—has made him dependent and that he's willing to do what's necessary to fill Loki's presence with himself.

A lesser boy would cling to Victor's arm and beg him for escape from the omnipresent Thor, but Loki simply saunters to Victor's side, away from Thor and his fleeting touches and delectable scent and heat, and shouts the primal little creature inside down.

That's of course dependent upon Thor not being feet away.

Loki grits his teeth and resists the urge to depose Richards from his seat. Victor despises him and would be glad for the change, yes, but said creature's hold of his sympathetic nervous system keeps him in the seat beside Thor.

Dr. Strange cocks an eyebrow and sets a dusty tome on their table. "Awareness of the outside world begins with awareness of the self," he says, and Tony nods slow and sarcastic.

"Self-awareness, spatial awareness, world, gotcha." Tony sucks his teeth. "Strange is so deep that I don't understand a thing he says."

Loki doesn't need yet another teacher to psycho-analyze him.

Charles does a dastardly enough job at that.

"Mr. Laufeyson, I see your lack of school spirit extends to Winter Formal as well," he says while stirring his tea because what is Professor Charles Xavier without his tea if not Professor Charles Xavier at all? "Your peers have surely taken notice to your, um, exotic beauty."

Victor doesn't react at all though if Stark or Barton were in his place rather than seated, Loki would be deaf from the laughter.

"They can do so without wasting their time asking me to a formal I'm not going to."

"That's preposterous. Loki, you have to go to your first SHIELD formal. It's unlike any formal in the world."

Everything at SHIELD except possibly the cafeteria is unlike anything else in the world.

Charles sets down his tea and stands. "If I were to arrange you an escort, would you be less opposed? Erik absolutely hates the thing, but you're a favorite student of his—"

"No," Loki says. "No."

"Suit yourself, but I'm not giving up, Loki. I'm chaperoning, and I expect you to woo them all."

If it isn't the frustration from the continuing infatuation—it's likelier that than that alternative he preemptively blurted out—with Thor that leads to his demise, it will be Charles Xavier and his way of bluntly approaching Loki's personal life.

Need he remind Charles that he's his teacher, not his friend?

Nál undoes the cuffs of his shirt in Loki's periphery as he lies on the chaise and reads Sigyn's "epic" to him about her university adventures. "Farbauti came to my office today."

Loki glances away from his phone. "She got desperate soon."

"She told me that this is your last night here. She's getting you directly from SHIELD tomorrow, or that is her intention. Sadly, she didn't break into hysterics about her ability as a mother, but I suppose that was because Odin was there—"

"Odin was there?"

Nál sits on the couch, eyes unnervingly still. "As I said, yes."

That interloping old man had the gall to aid his mother in her self-righteous crusade?

"He believes that there can be compromise. I have done enough compromising where you're involved as far as I'm concerned. Farbauti will be the one to compromise and soon if her picturesque life has any chance of coming to fruition."

Odin believes himself to have any authority over Loki when their only connection is the paper his mother foolishly signed. They share no blood. They share no history. They're nothing to each other except nuisances.

Loki's made himself less of one. Odin should do the same.

When he picks out the third volume on business' fundamentals, he thinks of his mother collapsing at the sight. It was her nightmare that he'd become like Laufey. Not so long ago, she asked him to restrain the parts of him she believes resemble parts of Laufey, and he appeased her. Oh, he appeased his dear mother who wanted nothing but the best for him.

She wanted nothing but the best for herself.

The best for Loki? No one knows the best for Loki except Loki.

His mother, Laufey, Odin, Thor, Norman Osborn, Malcolm Kith, their beliefs of what Loki can be, what he should be, how he can be, they're all clouded by their emotions, irrational, illogical, bitter, envious, deluded, dead.

Loki can be anything. Loki can do anything.

He can stave this little vein of love that flows so fast for Thor. Laughable. He's not like them, those teenagers who become lost in feelings, and Thor Odinson will not make him.

At lunch, Thor talks, Thor always talks, and Loki gets lost in the swirl of his yogurt rather than in the eyes frequently upon him.

He asks Natasha if she's ready to leave with four minutes remaining until the end of lunch, and she bids Barton a farewell and good luck with his math class.

"Ignoring the problem to make it go away?"

He follows her out. "It's always worked for me."

Victor's standing outside the open Psychology door, and if Victor smiled anymore, he would be at Loki for his eyes are intense, more intense than usual, and the corners of his mouth twitch ever so slightly.

"I'll see you inside," Natasha says.

Victor was waiting for him.

"You and I will go to Winter Formal together," he says. "As student body president, I'm obligated to spend the night with our peers and go so far as to reward Ice Emperor and Empress." The words come through gritted teeth, his distaste evident. "With you were there with me, I doubt it would be so miserable."

It's both oddly romantic and complimentary, and Victor isn't one to waste flattery either.

Loki doesn't swoon however nor could he if he tried.

"We're wearing green."

"Of course we are."

"Hm, deal."

Loki never offered his own terms and conditions for accepting, but Victor knows now that he owes Loki.

Tony slaps his palms down on the table as he sits. "I don't approve of you and Doomy's friendship. None of us do. Steve? Thor?"

"Loki's choices are his, and if he wants to be friends with someone like that, I won't fault him too much. He's a good guy."

Thor shrugs a shoulder. "I'm not threatened by Victor von Doom or anyone else for that matter. I know how Loki truly feels."

Loki offers a tight smile to Dr. Strange as he drops a stack of grimy books in front of him.

He can and will get through this.

"Loki—"

"I have a date," he interrupts Charles, voice quiet. "I'll be there."

Charles sets down his mug to clap his hands together. "Delightful."

Victor tells him that he'll pick him up at 6:30. Loki tells him where. Victor doesn't pry.

He should have fallen in love with Victor. Victor and he were perfect for each other, and perhaps there may have been incompatibilities, but Loki's persuasive enough that they would have been resolved and Victor wouldn't wipe his hands and disappear.

Maybe Thor didn't wipe his hands—he licked them—but that doesn't make him divine.

"Fenrir's missed you," Thor says as he leans against Rick Jones' poor locker. "He'll be glad you're home."

Loki shoulders his bag and tosses his scarf behind his back. "Who says I'm coming 'home?'"

The exit adjacent to his locker, little used and obscured by the staircase, ejects him between SHIELD and the administration building. Tent-less and sans SHIELD's personal army—does Nál arm them? That would simply be good business to get involved in the private sector—it's swarming with students and the stray staff looking as tired of them all as Loki always is.

"Are you at least coming home for Christmas?" Thor shouts after him.

Christmas is coming soon. There aren't wreaths and colored lights decorating the stores and homes for mere pleasure. The holiday season is one of passive aggressive competitions to prove how little one cares for their neighbors' goodnight's rest with strategic placing of snowman light displays.

Not that Loki would know anything about light intensity and the reflectiveness of snow or about the yellow-haired goblins that lived across the road and moved last year.

Nál waits near Howard Center, smirking, and as Loki steps into the car, his phone vibrates.

_'I am giving you time. I expect you to remember that and give me a break.' – Mother_

Give her a break after what she's done. Does she know Loki to be forgiving?

"I'm going to formal next Friday." He composes a text to Ísgerðr comprised of a bulleted list of needs for his tuxedo, including _Dolce & Gabbana_. It's not his fault it suits him so well.

"With who? Thor?"

"Victor von Doom," he replies, and Nál cocks an eyebrow. "He is coming to get me from your apartment."

"Will you be bringing him back afterward?"

Loki's face heats, and he's not a child, so he shouldn't be mortified, but Nál smirks and has that vicious glint in his eye. "No, Victor and I are friends."

"I've had many friends too. I just ask that you're careful with these friends because they have many friends and may swap more than just bodily fluids. I was told the walls were relatively soundproof, but I will interrupt if you interrupt my sleep."

Loki sinks into his seat and avoids Nál's gaze.

Only leaning over his coffee and resenting Nál's adoration of preventing a nice long morning of sleep does he completely forget that conversation that he never thought would happen but doesn't quite regret—he isn't a prude but Nál is his uncle and looks it—and ask Nál whether he'll be in New York City for Christmas.

His peers have crooned on and on about how they'll be on beaches under coconut trees unwrapping their gifts, their wealthy roots showing through the levelled field SHIELD's proven to be.

"I'm going to Umeå to stay with my mother," he says. "I doubt you—"

"I do. I remember her. She used to send me Christmas cards." Then Loki turned 14 and the ferocious, teenage part of him wanted nothing to do with anything related to Laufey, his grandmother included.

His mother never complained.

Nál chews his bagel, squinting at him.

"I want to come. I haven't seen her since I was seven."

He swallows. "If I were Laufey, I'd be insulted that it is me that you don't remember when I was also at his funeral, but I'll leave the petty conflicts to you." Loki may have thought him a ghost, but he remembered him there. "Have you christened your place in American society by shopping for Christmas gifts yet?"

Dearest December and its demand for gifts.

"No."

"You should do so soon. You know how these Americans are."

Has Loki ever mentioned how much he despises gift giving?

His aunts and uncles likely take one look at his chosen—Mother suggested—gift of understated designer garments before throwing it into their overflowing closets bought by and/or for their younger, richer new spouses.

This year, he's shackled himself with people he tolerates, plural 'people' instead of simply Sigyn.

He can't forget his "family" either.

They will feel burdened to him after this, and what a plethora of ways he can make use of their sense of obligation. Their wants, their needs, what will they be when Loki reminds them of the generous gift he searched on his delicate hands and knees for?

Porcelain, poor Loki, oh how they'll falter and capitulate.

In a charming bookstore in SoHo ran by a man with an overlarge scarf, he finds a KGB book written in Cyrillic, pen in the same language scrawled in the margins. Likely a piece of property the overlords of SHIELD and their cohorts would be glad to get their hands on, but it's Natasha that'll be getting it.

The man throws down a yellowed book with folded edges titled _Theravada and the Pali Canon_, Natasha's book held hostage at his side, and tells Loki "it'll change your life, bro" in a less Johnny Storm, more Justin Hammer mocking Tony—as he's liable to do when he overhears Steve mentioning him—tone.

Bruce could use the spiritual enlightenment.

He descends into the grimy, graffiti and gum smeared depths of New York City's excuse for a subway system, and hazed, indifferent gazes set upon him as he instead stands, gloved hand gripping the metal pole, than dirty his ass on whatever's been spilt and haphazardly wiped away.

It's similar to Stockholm in the way no one talks to each other, merely acknowledges the other's existence when necessary and go about their not-so-merry ride. And it has a certain character he and Sigyn would seek out cafes with weathered tables and employees who didn't enter through a revolving door,

Authentic New York City where he in his relatively… comfortable life can coexist with those not so fortunate. They don't have to deal with Tony Stark and Reed Richards, so they're fortunate in that way.

The over ground of East Williamsburg is simultaneously impersonal and particular, and Loki treads an easy path on the cracked cement through newspaper-plastered doors and past the post-ironic restorations touting unique goods. On messily stuffed shelves, breathing musty air, Stark's childish dream comes true in a dirtied red case and the word _Erector_.

"Vintage," the cashier tells him. "Like 1948 vintage and totally hard to come by,"

It's more or less the same the cashier down the street drawls as he blinks at the unfurled _Blade Runner_ poster. How Clint nearly exploded when Thor told him he hadn't seen _Blade Runner_.

He doesn't own a vinyl player, but Steve Rogers, in all his nostalgic ways, does, which is just Steve's luck. In crates of withered vinyl sleeves is Frank Sinatra's debut album—and if only Loki did own a vinyl player and wasn't so generous—signed.

"You look like you've been productive." Nál motions to grab bags from Loki, but Loki steps backward. "There is no weakness implied in accepting help."

That's not at all why Loki doesn't want or need his help, and that's wrong. The strongest don't need help, and while Loki might not be the strongest, he can get there by pushing himself.

Carrying his own bags and otherwise.

Laufey wouldn't have said that because Laufey knew that to be true. If he'd offered Loki help, he'd be smirking the entire way and tucking it away for future ammunition in his next barrage on Loki's ever so disappointing abilities.

"I've got it," Loki says, "and I was more than 'productive.' I was prolific."

Stark or Reed or Bruce or Thor couldn't accomplish what he has.

Thor who has everything he wants—and has any chance of getting—and exists to ruin Loki's concentration, sensibility, gift shopping. Perhaps in exchange for whatever Loki may find after luck makes another rare appearance, he can remind Loki why he hates hulks and drop all pretense of being… tolerable.

It'd be easy to stop liking him then.

Trying his best not to fidget in Nál's study in the early hours of the morning, he realizes that the essentials he's gotten by on in the past week are simply that, essentials but not the wants. Those are of course at home.

His mother and Odin will possibly spend the day out on one of their excursions if she's not so sad at Loki's absence, and Thor, he has the gym and his plethora of friends and teammates and Fenrir. He can't be anywhere within the vicinity of their street before dinner.

"I'm going somewhere."

The door shuts off any reply Nál might have and Loki's quick steps put any distance between Nál if he tries to follow.

Thor's car nor his mother's or Odin's are not there.

He gets in. He gets his things. He gets out. It'll be simple.

No one will ever know he was here.

He shuts the front door behind him, straining his ears in the silence for the clatter of claws against the hardwood. In the living room, down the hall, there's no sign of Fenrir either.

Thor likely took him wherever he went gallivanting with "the guys." As he should. Loki didn't get him for Thor to treat him as window dressing on the oh so perfect picture his life paints.

Loki got him because Thor needed a gift, a meaningful, useful gift.

Thor's bedroom door is slightly ajar, blanket vivid red in the noon light.

He turns the knob of his own door.

A blur of gray and white pounces on him at the knee, paws scrabbling against his crisp jeans and nose pressing cold on the denim. Fenrir swipes his tongue across Loki's hands before pressing his chin to Loki's knee and allowing him to pet the soft fur of his head.

His bedspread is a rumbled mess that likely smells of dog.

Fenrir gets down with a final rub of Loki's hand, instead following him at the heels as he glances over the virtually unchanged state of his bedroom.

There's a stack of books from SHIELD's libraries beside his laptop, books he's both read and not. He could manage to take them all if he packed them diligently enough, or possibly, renege on his refusal of Nál's open-ended offer of help and ask him to quickly come and pick him up.

He parts the garment bags in his closet and grasps the bag of his running gear. A clear mind should help him get past this, stop the deterioration of his logic and rise of his feelings.

Someone's behind him, someone quiet enough to sneak up on him.

Bag tight and arms ready to lash out, he turns.

It's Thor.

Thor starts chuckling, loud and deep.

"It would've been nice if you'd have said something."

"I was too distracted by the view of you bent over," he says. "You should've seen your eyes. You looked terrified." Thor somehow steps farther into his space, what little distance between their bodies existing only between their eyes and lips. His hands touch Loki's arms, so incredibly warm and firm. "Calm down. You're safe. You're home."

He goes to turn because clearly, them being close like this isn't going to aid him in moving on.

Thor's lips are soft and wet and taste of mint.

"I'm happy you're home."

Thor's arms flex under his fingers, and he can't find the strength to grip and push away like he should. He should push Thor away, and he should go because kissing—

Thor uses tongue and lots of it, chasing away what's left of the coffee, and his thumbs trace shapes on Loki's cheeks, calluses catching on his skin and fingers pressing into sweet spots on his scalp, and Thor is everywhere.

"This is okay," Thor's saying, leaving Loki's lips freezing and then warming them again. "We're okay."

They're anything but.

Thor suffocates him with his mouth, and Loki narrowly escapes.

"No, it isn't."

Thor doesn't start kissing him again. "Why? We both want this. You want me as much as I want you."

Thor leans forward, and Loki laughs and stops him short.

"What I want doesn't matter. What I know I should want, that does." He pulls Thor's hands away at the wrists and drops them to his sides. "You're… obnoxious and oblivious and arrogant and 'perfect.' I'm… me. You and I, we don't end up together."

Thor squints at him.

"You end up with Janet van Dyne—"

"Is that what this is about? Because you don't suddenly care that we're step-brothers. You think that I'm some ass who cares about fucking everyone or having hundreds of friends. Those don't matter to me, Loki. You know me. You fell in love with me."

There's that word.

"Victor and I are going to winter formal together," he says.

Thor stares him down as he gathers his laptop, the books an impossibility this time.

"I'll see you Monday."

Fenrir follows him to the door, but Thor does not.

"Did you get what you needed?" Nál looks smug as he taps out a text message across Loki, plate half-empty while Loki has barely cleared a fifth of his. He tucks his phone away, still smirking, and he knows, of course, where Loki went and who he saw.

"Almost."

He lies there in bed, that steady urban white noise not yet lulling him to sleep, with Thor's and his words repeating in his head, that emotional reasoning of his not so ridiculous now that they're neighborhoods apart.

The parts about their wants being at all valid is no less ridiculous, but what he told Thor, "we don't end up together," it scratches at him. Not about the two of them for that is right, they won't end up together because of many reasons, but the absolutist viewpoint, it's wrong.

Loki's realistic, but he isn't so deluded and humble to not acknowledge that his abilities surpass those of most. He isn't putting his all forth because he hasn't needed to, but he could, not to please those who steeple their fingers and wave around their projections, but to simply do so.

Thor with his "perfection" and scholarships and love. If things were different between them, their parents and this nuisance of a world, they could end up together because Loki gets what he wants, but they aren't.

Otherwise, with Nál and the possibilities he revealed to Loki, they are.

"What're you doing Friday night?" Steve asks, sliding open the door to Biology.

"Going to Winter Formal," he replies. "You?"

Steve's smile is slight as he takes his seat. "Wow, you changed your mind, and it wasn't me who did it this time. Who're you going with?"

"Victor."

And Steve's smile is gone. "Oh, well, I thought you and—"

"Well, you thought wrong."

Natasha isn't smiling, but if she were hers would be gone like Steve's after he tells her. She raps her fingernails against his desk and says, eyes elsewhere, "Glad I won't be there to see that."

Clint says that he'd rather him stay home. He's going with some 10th grader Bobbi Morse, and Natasha, other plans or not for the evening, likely wants Clint to do the same as he desires Loki.

Stark screeches a laugh that earns a lethal glare from Dr. Lactus and jabs a finger at Loki that's promptly swatted away. "Knew it. I fucking knew it. You and Doomy aren't just 'friends.' The guy has the hots for you, and you're that dark, broody, asshole thing he's got going on. Don't know a good thing when you've got it."

They can't choose the constraints under which Loki attends when it suits them, and if they believe they can, they'll see that they're wrong.

Robert sits between him and Thor with an, "I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop," and Loki bites hard into his apple and flicks through the SHIELD course catalogue sent in his email months ago, not at all annoyed by Robert's presence.

Thor has the right idea with limiting interaction to the bare minimum. He's not all idiot.

Stark complains about his datelessness, Emma Frost having told him to go with who he really wants—"What does that even mean?"—and Loki smirks because he has no such woes. "Even Hammer has a date. Hansen's sunk down to the next best thing since I was unofficially reserved for Emma Frost until yesterday. I've got four days to find a date that can pull off red and gold."

Like clockwork, Stark looks to the dozing Steve leant on his elbow, eyes sagging but hand no less slow in its shoveling of food into his mouth. "Steve, okay, I know you think that I'm kind of—you know me though. You know me better than anyone. Well, not Rhodey, but Rhodey doesn't know about—be my date."

Steve swallows and rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I don't know, Tony."

"Come on. Barnes has Carter taken care of. At least I think. You talk to the guy more than I do. And if he doesn't, it's not your problem. You and me, we're your problem. I mean, not like in a bad way. We fit." He clasps his hands together. "It'll be like freshman year."

Freshman year presumably wasn't something to get nostalgic over with Steve's glare.

"I mean, no, not like freshman year. I've changed, Steve. I can hold my liquor way better…" He looks to Loki for aid he's not keen to give. "You look hot in red—"

"Stop talking before I change my mind."

"You're nowhere as smooth as everyone thinks you are," Robert says, and Tony winks at Loki, proud and relieved.

It's from Osborn that he learns Thor and the hulks shall caravan to formal sans dates because as Harry quotes from Johnny Storm himself, "'kind of ruins the rep to come with one girl and leave with another.'" What Thor does and with whom does not concern Loki because this passing fancy for him will have started on its way out come Friday.

Jameson takes that indestructible pen of his out of his mouth to jab it at the door and tells Loki it's Hank Pym they've deemed student to look out for and to "get the dirt of the guy."

Through the memory of the lately absent Bruce and his ramblings about he and their more enlightened peers' academic activities, he finds Hank Pym in Howard's planetarium where he and a never not smoldering Victor behold various warped holes marring a glowing, starry scape.

The Big Crunch of their beloved universe.

"Hank—"

"Oh, hi, Loki."

"—I have a few questions to ask you. You've been chosen as this month's Student to Look out For."

Hank glances away from the streaks of dying stars at him, brow furrowed. "Wow. I've never won that."

"You likely wouldn't have if I hadn't been absent a third of this month," Victor says from his chair the room center, eyes cast above.

Hank crosses his arms, face petulant, and clearly to spite Victor, enthusiastically invites Loki to ask his menial questions about Hank's ambitious but realistic plans for life beyond SHIELD. Hank, like so many of their fellow students, has fallen victim to the staggering shadow that is the Stark-Richards-Banner threesome, and in his not so subtly bitter gripes over lack of recognition, Loki sees an inevitability.

One that Loki shall avoid in his infinite, unstoppable potential.

When Hank has excused himself, Loki perches himself on the arm of Victor's chair, hand placed behind Victor's back close enough that Victor can sense but far enough that Victor can't feel.

"SHIELD's bureaucracy seeks to satisfy everyone even those undeserving of it," Victor says, and he looks to Loki with pursed lips. "It will be their downfall to mediocrity."

"But we're anything but mediocre."

Victor makes a neutral, agreeing sound and looks back at the remnants of the universe. "SHIELD's cumulative formula for choosing the top students from a school full of 4.0s on paper will buy them time. But I quickly discovered that the solution was to take certain courses and I would be justly rewarded. Not all teachers are equal and not all A's are."

"And who's A do you want the most?"

"Dr. Quadmon in Philosophy. Only three students beside myself have gotten A's," he says. "SHIELD would deny it, but I've completed the analysis of the course catalogue and school records and seen the past valedictorians and other assorted people have taken multiple classes under teachers with prestigious credentials and SHIELD degrees."

"Like Professor Xavier, yes?"

Victor flicks his fingers in affirmative. "If one were to ensure a top spot, it would be Nathaniel Richards' schedule they would follow. He studied many courses of study simultaneously almost to the point of improbability. There is Howard Stark in SHIELD history and then far above him is Nathaniel Richards. After I graduate, there will be Victor von Doom above them both."

Loki doesn't require an instantaneous place in SHIELD's history because when it is him at the helm of a great business, above those who doubted him for his untapped potential, SHIELD will scramble to etch one there for him.

The sooner Loki gets a SHIELD diploma in his hand and occupies the seat Nál warms, the better.

Victor doesn't elaborate farther past Dr. Quadmon's esteemed Philosophy class or the elite slate of classes to make Loki Laufeyson a name sooner said in the same breath of Richards and Stark and the not academically but athletically prolific Odinson, but a simple evening with the SHIELD course catalogue opened on his tablet and Google ready on his laptop reveals what Victor did not.

Unused potential will be a long gone though from Malcom Kith's mind.

Miss Hill snaps orders through her earpiece, and at sight of Loki stood before her desk in SHIELD's front office, she puts on a tight smile and dismisses whoever was unfortunate to be on the other end. "Loki, what can I do for you?"

"Actually, I'm looking to speak with the guidance counselor. I have something I wish to discuss."

She lifts her eyebrows as though that was not at all what she expected. "Well, uh, that's fine." She points over her shoulder. "Head straight back and third door on the left, you'll see the plaque for guidance."

He passes a glum looking Robert who with head hung down doesn't as much as acknowledge his existence, and that's fine with how coldly Robert's taken to treating him in the wake of his and Thor's foreseeably and probably permanent end of whatever they had.

The door beside Dr. Samson – Guidance Counsellor is slightly ajar, and after a curt knock, Loki's called in by that faux saccharine voice of his.

Samson smiles in his harlequin green office filled with the chesterfield sofas and inkblot paintings that likely adorn the pages of the psychiatric magazine he subscribes to. "Loki, welcome. Please, come in and close the door behind you."

Loki doesn't clutch his tablet to his chest but squares his shoulders. He needs to present strength to a man who studied body language in college for a prescription pad and a degree. Carefully does he sit across the smile lined Samson.

"After our conversation in the hall, I hope you'd see that the door was always open to come and talk. It's better late than never."

"Yes, I agree."

"So, what do you want talk about? Where ever you want to start, we can."

He's expecting a solemn admission of Loki's yearning for Bruce Banner's company so that he may console him with a pitying look and a hand on Loki's shoulder.

Loki leans forward with hands flat on his tablet. "Lately, I've felt unchallenged. Where I came from, I accepted that the hardest they had to give would never satisfy me, but here I've realized that the analogue to the classes I would've taken if I'd stayed aren't enough. When my mother and I talked about my classes, my mind was otherwise occupied, but now that it isn't, I've looked and seen what I really want."

"We're two weeks into second term, but you've shown that you haven't had any problems adjusting earlier in the school year. And you are doing fantastic in all of your classes. The disparity from other schools and SHIELD usually sets students back for a few months."

"Which is exactly why I came to you as soon as possible. I'm not only unchallenged. I'm relatively bored with compulsory schooling as a whole. I've seen what the real world has to offer me."

Samson stares at him with dubious eyes. "You want to graduate early."

"But I want to do it after getting the most from my SHIELD education. I haven't had the time that other students have had, but I want to take full advantage of my time here," he says. "_Doc_, I've taken time to think about this. Many would like to stay at SHIELD forever because the alternative is SHIELD-less life, and SHIELD is all they've known. I don't have that feeling."

The printed projections and red marker, oh, where have they gone?

"Students take their time graduating because every course from 9th grade onward earns them college credits, and there's no college in the world that doesn't accept them. But I see what you're saying." He holds his hands up defensive. "I really do."

Loki merely smiles.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I wondered when you'd ask," he says, and he produces his tablet and the generous list of class names and corresponding teachers, many who weren't present when Nathaniel Richards had the same classes on his own schedule but remain no less capable. There are more of course, classes that Loki would benefit from taking to expand his breadth of knowledge.

Samson whistles and compliments his research skills. "This is one of the more ambitious things I've come across in my decade and a half here, and more than a few students have come to me with space programs and budget reports like I'm Superintendent Pierce. With that in mind, I'd have to consult with Pierce and several members of the board before any decisions could be made."

Yes, that bureaucracy of SHIELD that Victor so despises.

"It's very rare that SHIELD says no to something like this. Our students are capable of extraordinary things, and if they want to push themselves, we encourage that. We also encourage them to seek support when that grows to be too much."

Gwen's chipper face illuminates the TV on Samson's wall, and Loki gathers his tablet and stands.

"Loki, there's no limit on how much time we have. We can talk as long as we need to."

Samson's words are as good as a yes, and Loki did not come here to discuss the nonexistent hurt he has for Bruce.

"Thank you, but I don't have anything else to talk about, and I'd rather not waste time you could spend talking to someone who does." He's through the door before Samson can say contrary and on his way to Biology.

If more conversations could be as fruitful as that was, Loki would hate people less.

"Who jizzed in your yogurt?" asks Clint as Loki happily licks his spoon in a way not at all meant to draw Thor's eyes from Robert to him though spoon or not, Loki would have no problem accomplishing that.

"'Jizz?'" Steve asks, and Tony's eyebrows lift as Clint snickers.

Loki licks remnants of yogurt from his lips as Robert gives him an exasperated look that Thor echoes only far worse. "Cum."

"That's real nice, Clint," a very disgusted Steve says, and Barton merely shrugs. "You know what, I'll ask for him in plain English. Loki, what's got you so happy?"

Stark twiddles his thumbs and resists that obvious urge to make reference to the sex Loki and Thor aren't having because his dream with Steve is two days from coming true, and for all of Stark's destructive tendencies, he wishes not for this to go sour.

"Something that I didn't know I wanted but now want is going to happen."

"You're moving back to Sweden?" Robert asks. "Good luck. I'm sure people will send postcards to you. Not certain people because that'll just be bad for his emotions, but I might."

"You could even come back with me. Very tall, well-built, blond hair, blues eyes, and attractive, you would fit right in." He brings a spoonful of yoghurt to his mouth and skims his tongue over it. "And you're American accent would do wonders to anyone."

Thor glares at Robert, and well, he and Robert don't look so unalike, but Robert lacks where Thor doesn't.

Robert's eyes cast to his lap. "I have a girlfriend," he says, voice quiet, "and I'm not gay or bi or anything."

That sounded awfully convincing.

Loki laughs. "They never are."

"He's not interested, Loki," Thor says in a deep, harsh voice, and Loki swallows his yoghurt slow as he avoids any thoughts of who is.

It doesn't matter to him.

In celebration of his greatest step toward certain success yet, he picks today's volume from Nál's shelf and ventures to Charles' café, closer home than he's been since that trip Sunday, for tea.

Charles fortunately is not there, and at his usual table sit two barely men in oversized eyeglasses and argyle beanie hats talking ever so enthusiastically about what's likely to be nothing.

"Sigur Rós concert" draws him from terse prose to the two of them a table away, and luck has kept a grip on him today for in all their pretentious regard of Loki while he ever so politely questions them, they reveal that in just a few months Sigur Rós will consecrate this city's Madison Square Garden with their presence.

A lesser person would skip the blocks to Midtown, but Loki, in his infinite composure and grace, moves at a brisk stride through scowling, coat-bundled obstacles to a Plexiglas window that grants him two tickets that one of which will serve as the a-ha to Thor Odinson, the one who has made Loki's existence a small hell, that he does not have everything.

Afterward however he will be one step closer because of Loki.

Stark says that he has gotten the "shiniest gift" he's ever going to get for him, and Loki warns him that he will castrate him if it's something as stupid as a golden helmet.

"Why a helmet? Are you sending me mixed signals here? Do you want me to get you a helmet? 'Cause I'll get you a helmet, alright, as long as I get to keep my RAM and CPU."

He points Stark on the AC/DC t-shirt and says once again, "No helmets," in a tone that leaves no room for Starkian interpretation. He then pats the petrified Stark on the shoulder and bids him a good morning.

Loki can almost truthfully say that Thor does not look delectable in the threadbare, washed out jeans he's worn today. It's progress however small it may be.

Ísgerðr ceremoniously drops a garment bag and shoebox in his lap and arms as he lounges, reading on the couch. "Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo and Christian Louboutin shoes. This could be the tuxedo that you wear to your wedding."

Loki isn't the marrying type by virtue of enjoying his independence, but he thanks her nonetheless because she has proven herself to be worthy of his respect and Sigyn's envy.

He doesn't look at the tuxedo or shoes because they're of course perfect, and he has reading to do. Tomorrow, he'll put them on, and he and Victor will go to Winter Formal as the best looking dates there.

Friday morning, red Santa Claus hats and other assorted head—and ear—gear mark the crest of Winter Formal frenzy that upon stepping fully out of Nál's car, Loki discovers extends to the clothes underneath the SHIELD blazers. Costumes would be a more accurate description for the white-trimmed red skirts and yellow stockings and green coats on some of them.

In SHIELD's lobby, a Santa Claus dressed Ben Grimm and Jean Grey as what appears to be a reindeer with red nose and furry brown bodysuit tack navy blue versions of Santa Claus hats onto the students passing by.

Loki halts in the doorway and moves to turn to find an alternative route inside the building.

"Loki," Ben shouts, and one of those hats is placed on his head from behind by a laughing Jean.

"Come on, it's the holidays. You look good in it," she says. "And I'll hunt you down and put it back on you if you take it off."

Neither conformity nor threats have ever made Loki do anything. That hat gets half tucked into the back pocket of his jeans where it is liable to fall though at no fault of Loki which he will tell Jean Grey or anything who dares question him and his lack of school spirit.

McCoy wears his Santa Claus hat as proudly as his class, and Loki grits his teeth and wills the time to be 3:15 so that he may be, for a few hours, free from this spectacle they call pride in their school and all its foolishness.

Erik does not wear a hat.

"Are you going to be there tonight?" Loki asks, and Erik's look of distaste at those hat wearers that infest his room fades as he glances at Loki.

"Yes. Charles specifically recommended me as a chaperone tonight, and Raven backed him. I have nothing to do tonight, and shoving hormonal teenagers apart should be entertaining."

"School-sanctioned cockblocker," he says, and Erik grins.

"If I wasn't before, I'm now convinced you spend too much time with Stark."

"Because any time with Tony Stark is too much time spent with Tony Stark."

As if on cue, Tony, bearing the news that NYU has banished them from all campus facilities until the New Year, arrives with a red knapsack slung over his shoulder but nothing else holiday-themed, and Reed and Hank, with a red balls of noses, and Victor, with nothing but his satisfactory self, follow.

Tony claps him on the arm and produces a box wrapped in gold for Erik. "Merry Christmas, Lehnsherr. Couldn't really consider you a teacher since I'm not in this class most of the time, but you grade my papers, so I count you."

Erik shakes the box, grimacing. "Thank you, Stark. Now, sit down, all of you, so I can try to teach you something today when you're all so excited for tonight."

Tony sits in Bruce's seat and shouts, "You snooze. You lose, Doomy. Get with it," at Victor.

Hat-wearing Logan snatches the hat off Clint's head and throws it high in the stands for him to "fetch," and Jean Grey tells him that she'll happily give him a new hat if he's lost his though Loki responds that it's in his locker.

Dr. Lactus is the second with no hat, and Loki's expecting nothing less from Thor than to be opposite and conform to their peers.

Thor, in his red firm trimmed coat with just a thin white t-shirt beneath that's tinted gold with the skin beneath and his velour pants that Loki just knows hug his ass in the most wonderful of ways, stands ahead of him in line, and Loki forgets how to breathe.

Oh, Thor, great, muscled, golden Thor, unwrap him like a gift and fuck him before the fire and hold him tight afterward.

The gods are against him and everything Loki stands for.

"I can't do this," he says as Thor sits, stood in the middle of the cafeteria.

Steve's brow furrows, and he looks at him and then Thor and realizes. "Oh. You've been doing alright the past week I think. Another day can't be too bad."

"But, Steve, look at him. Have you seen anything so completely perfect?"

Maybe it is simply happenstance, but Steve looks over at Tony shouting and laughing with James.

Steve puts a hand on his shoulder, and with surprising strength, leads him forward.

Nearly does Loki forget how to breathe again as he sits beside Thor for the first time this week, and he can't bear to risk looking away from his lunch or Natasha and Clint across him.

"Sexy Santa Claus, woo, put me your naughty list under Loki."

Loki rues the day that Anthony Stark was conceived.

Thor chuckles, and Loki simply can't do this.

He leaves for somewhere, likely Erik's classroom, but anywhere away from Thor.

He turns at a hand catching him at the elbow, and alone in SHIELD's ground floor corridor, Thor all red and gold stares down at him with amused, narrowed eyes.

No yoga that Loki has ever done gave him mastery of controlling where his blood migrates, and he curses his lack of foresight when now his jeans are uncomfortably tight and making him ache for that hand on his arm to touch him.

Thor places at large hand at the small of his back and up the stairs, through a door, brings him into the chilly air to a bench in half-frozen grass, and with his inhuman body heat, draws Loki in close to his side with an arm around his shoulders.

The cold is great, but Thor's heat is greater.

"So is Victor picking you up in his little sports car?" Such juvenile words should make Loki like Thor less, but his lizard brain has long taken over in regard to Thor. "I bet he's taking you to dinner at some boring five star restaurant before."

He glares at the megalith of SHIELD. "Try to sound less jealous."

"Me, jealous of him? Never. So then, are you going to dinner afterward maybe at his place? I've heard his apartment is extraordinary."

"What does it matter to you what Victor and I are doing?"

"Because Victor is a dangerous man, and I won't have him hurting you. I know his address. I know his license plate. I know his phone number. Victor von Doom is a dead man walking if he has much as lays a stray finger on you."

Loki rolls his eyes his hardest. "You sound obsessive and possessive. No matter how sexy you may look, I'm not going to simply accept your constant harassment because it's supposedly romantic."

"Just because you call it harassment it doesn't make it any less needed. As long as your crusade to punish me for being patient continues—"

"Punish you? Do you have any self-awareness to realize how egotistical you sound? Everything that I do isn't with you in mind, Thor. Victor von Doom is my friend, and if he's a dangerous man, I'll never know because he feels the same toward me."

Thor looks to him with eyes so earnest that it chills him. "I know that you're scared, Loki. I was scared too."

With that, Loki rises and leaves Thor to attempt to exploit the empty bench. He will have better chances of succeeding with the steel than with Loki.

Dr. Strange discusses the psychology of rituals in a Frosty the Snowman hat and bids them all farewell with a reminder of Solstice's importance to the pagans and of not driving drunk.

A red, brown, and green muddle of fabric hangs off a red nose wearing Charles as he corrals them to his makeshift desk where trays of holiday mugs and treats teeter precariously on the classics.

It's hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies in the rousing spirit of Christmas.

"X, reason one why you're my favorite teacher, and I got you this," says Stark as he hands him a shining red bag from his shrinking knapsack. "Don't open it. Wait, you can open it, but defeats the point of Christmas morning, and it'll warm my heart to think of you opening my great gift at the Xavier X-mas tree."

Charles gives Tony a one-armed hug and points to his own covered head while looking at Loki.

Loki merely sips his hot chocolate as Barton and Alex Summers chug theirs beside him. Again, he wears a foolish hat for no one. His hair is far too glorious to be marred by SHIELD's traditions.

Victor excuses himself, Pepper, and Gwen on "Student Council duty" and nods an acknowledgement at Loki after he stands. 7:30 tonight, they'll both wear green, Victor will pick him up from Nál's, things that people like them don't need to repeatedly discuss.

At the bell, Clint cups his hand and shouts about their two remaining periods.

"Loki, can we talk for a moment?" Charles asks with fingers kneading his temple, and as polite and not keen to see Thor as Loki is, he waves off Natasha with a vow to see her during their vacation and answers Charles' call.

Charles' smile is a quirk of the lips. "Recently, I finished reading your script, and I must say I was taken aback not by the storyline but by the writing quality itself. I observed my share of your class' working, and I noticed that while they had their say, you were one putting the words to paper. The style, the tone, the syntax, I couldn't stop reading."

"Thank you."

"No problem," he says, and his fingers drop from his temple. "I've read many of your articles in _The Shield_ as well, and they've all been of top quality. I actually spoke with a contact of mine at the Writers Guild of America and sent him a few samples of your work, and he's quite interested in representing you."

Writing isn't a profession. Writing is a pastime. Though if Loki were even interested in becoming a professional writer, of following that joking suggestion from his mother that he could write the best book ever written with how many he reads, he has a future planned.

Laufey hated the arts in anything but passing. Artisans were mockeries of men to him.

"SHIELD encourages our students to pursue careers in any field they please because they excel at them all. Directors, geologists, whatever field you can imagine, a SHIELD student is the top expert in it."

"Thank you, professor, but I decline." He inclines his head. "I'll see you later."

Laufey left a void he believed Loki would never fill, but Loki shall fill it so greatly that he'll have to chip away at the edges to properly fit.

Mrs. Munroe in a velour, skintight bodysuit discusses the climate in the North Pole as Thor drums his leather-gloved fingers on the back of Loki's chair.

He doesn't bother with attempting to flee Thor after class.

"Are you coming home tomorrow?" Thor asks, "Sexy Santa," shouted by the passersby.

"No."

"Then Monday, yes? You have to be there for Christmas Eve."

Loki turns to him in front of Journalism. "I'm going with Nál to see my grandmother for Christmas, Thor."

No, no, Thor is not allowed to look utterly crestfallen in a salacious Santa Claus costume nor is he allowed to devolve Loki's apathy toward people to what's perhaps akin to sympathy.

"I haven't seen her since I was seven," he says, and he doesn't need to explain himself to Thor, but Thor must stop looking like that. "I was rather rude in how I cut her off."

"You have the tendency to do that." Thor shakes his head at something and shrugs to himself, and he's in Loki's space, breath rasping over Loki's lips and a nudge forward from crashing into him—

"Laufeyson! What're doing standing in that hallway when we've got work to do?"

Loki licks his lips and doesn't taste Thor, but does see Thor's retreating back through the crowd of Santa Claus hats. He slides past Jameson who asks him what's wrong him, "it's the holidays" as though that solves anything.

He doesn't stare at the Polaroid pictures of Thor Parker lays down.

Not too hard.

Nál shrugs off his snow-dusted coat as Loki unties his boots with unnecessary slowness. "I'm leaving for Gothenburg at 5:00 on Sunday morning. If you're still interested in coming along, have your bags packed tomorrow night for a five day stay."

Five days a continent away won't even be enough to end it, will it?

If luck has not left him yet, tonight he won't cross paths with Thor and will maybe forget how badly his sensibilities have fallen.

He unzips the garment bag laid on the bed, and marvelous gold sequins embroidered on matte evergreen greet the eye. In that same evergreen, satin trousers and a waistcoat compliment the blazer.

Ísgerðr has outdone herself.

Dolce & Gabbana fits Loki like a second skin, and he beholds himself in the mirror, a fallen god in green, gold, and sparse black where his bowtie and the leather toed, suede vamped shoes are concerned. The red soles will earn the envy of the fashion conscious, and with that in mind he takes a picture of himself with one leg bent and shoe sole visible and sends it to Sigyn.

He chances upon the picture of him and Thor from Thor's birthday party, Thor's smile ever so sinister and Loki's own on edge because of that hand out of frame squeezing his ass.

If that had anyone else, he would've had their dismembered testicles in his hand after the flash, but looking at the two of them, remembering that moment, Loki bites the inside of his lip to restrain an exasperated smile.

Thor fucking Odinson, why?

Nál comments on his hair being down for the first time in a while before uttering something like a compliment.

"I'm sure enough that Victor will enjoy how you look," he says as Loki slides his gold and green scarf beneath the thin lapels of his blazer. Loki's paternal grandparents did not teach their sons the simplicity of, "You look alright."

Victor's evergreen military jacket and gray slacks make him a stoic figure in Nál's lobby, one that a more sensible, rational Loki would dismantle, button by button. He inclines his head at Nál, and it is a battle of the stoics like no other.

"Don't let him do anything idiotic," Nál says, and with that, he leaves.

"I won't tell you anything you already know," Victor says after a once over of Loki, and Loki smirks and accepts the elbow Victor offers.

He keeps a loose grip on Victor's arm as they trek from the crowded car park over SHIELD's dim, snow-covered grounds to the spotlight illuminated main building beyond. Victor doesn't talk where there's nothing important enough to talk about, so they remain in silence only interrupted by bursts of chatter from those clattering and clomping past them in an overexcited dash.

The halls beyond the door windows are dark but the stairwells lit azure.

On the fourth floor, Loki toes through tufts of artificial silver and white snow as Victor leads him below the dangling crystals.

"Your planning skills are unparalleled," he tells Victor looking evenly at the great ballroom housing a winter wonderland done with SHIELD extravagance.

Victor's lips twitch into a semblance of a smirk. "I'm well aware."

No blue blazers in sight but tuxedos and dresses and suits and skirts in all colors of the spectrum, in all lengths, glossiness, opacities. The boys at SHIELD who all look varying strains of handsome on any given day have traded in tacky slogan t-shirts for oxfords and jackets that hint at the muscles SHIELD's athletics have given them.

Blonds but none of them Thor.

Victor shows him to a table of members of Student Council in front of the stage laid out with hors d'oeuvres and glasses of something sparkly that Carol declares as he sits is "unsurprisingly nonalcoholic."

Gwen slyly stares at him over her glass, and after Victor disappears, turns to him and tells him that he looks great.

"You do," a boy with a red tuxedo and tinted black glasses says. "From what Foggy told me."

The soft-looking boy beside him, presumably Foggy, tilts his glass toward Loki. "Really dig the suit."

"Thanks."

The mellow house music mutates into the raucous dance music his homeland has become synonymous with, and when the DJ declares in accented English, "Ladies and gentleman, my name is Axwell, and it's time for SHIELD to turn up," New York City becomes very Swedish.

People start to scream with the bass drop that rumbles that ground, and Gwen grabs Loki's hand with an unnerving, rouge-outlined smile and says, "Oh my god, Loki, come and dance with me."

Through the flailing limbs and bumping asses, Victor is nowhere to be seen.

Gwen's eyebrows rise further. "Come on, it's just dancing. Don't tell me you of all people can't dance."

She's goading him and what she sees as a pressure point to his pride, but unlike these people who collapse under a prodding finger from the so feisty Gwen Stacy, Loki's quite sure of himself.

Jumping up and down on dress shoes is what these people consider dancing?

Loki stands with a roll of his eyes, and Gwen squeals.

"Guy from Swedish House Mafia, guy from Sweden, this is so, like, strange and awesome," she says, loose blonde waves whirling as she snaps her head back and forth to look at the crowd and Loki. "I bet you don't even like this kind of music, but you probably don't even care…"

As any proficient dancer does, Loki only requires the semblance of a beat to work his magic.

He sways ever so slightly as the nonsensical lyrics build to an oncoming chorus, and when it hits, Loki lets the tinny snare grip him by the spine and drag one leg aside and bend one arm and drag and bend the rest of his body like a master puppeteer. He rolls his body beneath the white-blue lights oscillating above and steps here and right and there and left to the sixths and eighths and fourths of beats, and no these singers are no Jonsi, but the tension of his daily façade eases away with their superficial love, dance, love, repeat.

They alternate between jumping and waving their arms around him, and they watch and cheer and sing, and Loki shows SHIELD what it means to really dance.

Challengers surface to pop and lock in the spaces his body leaves when it bends and twists and they last their song and half before disappearing back into the rolled up sleeves and hiked up dresses to regain their strength.

Loki bends at the knee and leans his body back and stops at the break in the beat, smirking at the chorus of "Oh" he receives. He could go on forever.

The screaming about hedonism segues into a slow, trance wail about lost love, and like those pairing off around him, Gwen, hairline beaded with sweat and breathless, grabs his hand and moves in close so that her sweet perfume stings his nose. In her heels, she reaches the tip of his nose like Sigyn does barefoot, and her eyes twinkle the same green in the ice blue lights.

He rests hands on her hips, unexcitingly soft, and guides her into a gentle rhythm with the music. In some other universe where Loki's unfortunately and dully heterosexual, he's enjoying this far too much.

Pepper, sparkling the same red trimming James' classic tuxedo, interrupts their dance to say that it's time for the student council to have their group picture taken, and without the disdain her old friend Stark would have, says to him, "Goes for you too. You're Victor's date."

Gwen smiles bright and recounts their moments on the dance floor, both individually and together, and Loki glances about the thousands in this cavern of a room for a smile brighter and surrounded in gold.

Eyes, familiar and not, meet his, and Loki turns his forward at the exit, maybe somewhat disappointed.

He should be relieved that his night hasn't been tainted—brightened—by Thor.

A cold hand encloses around his wrist and Victor's beside him as if he never left.

"Victor, man, where've you been?" James asks, sparing Loki. "Thought this would be the year I'd see you breakdown on the dance floor. Last chance and all."

Victor sniffs. "Wilson constructed an alcohol dispenser underneath his tuxedo, and from a nozzle in his sleeve, served 40 Proof Vodka to anyone stupid enough to accept."

"Guy never gives up, does he?"

"He may be one of our more psychotic students, but no, Wilson is perseverant."

Victor rests a hand at the small of his back, and Loki places his on Victor's shoulder and smirks for the camera.

Victor doesn't squeeze his ass at the flash.

An hour remains, and with two passed and not one sign of the most obvious person to have graced the planet, the likelihood of encountering Thor lies at virtually zero. That tuxedo that he's wearing effortlessly, Loki won't see that, will he?

"Dance with me," he says, and Victor cocks an eyebrow the barest hint. "The music's nauseating, but you can pretend it isn't. You're the one who hired the DJ."

"It's lowest common denominator mediocrity that 3,000 people enjoy enough to dance."

"Ourselves included." He grasps Victor's hand and leads him through the mass of thrashing bodies, and luck, ever so generous to him as of late, has it that a song Loki quite likes begins to play.

Those around are repelled by the staggering contrast of Victor's stoicism to their enthusiasm, and Loki rounds on Victor with bottom lip bitten and sways his hips in a way that not even Victor von Doom can keep his eyes from enjoying. Mouthing along to the lyrics celebrating love bought through superficial means, he slides against the unmoved Victor, teases and touches, and no, Victor isn't Thor, but Loki likes this game all the same.

"You can't call this dancing, Victor," he whispers against the shell of Victor's ear. "You're just watching."

Victor's jaw works, and Loki laughs to himself as he turns and presses himself against Victor and rolls his ass just so against his crotch.

Victor grabs his hips, stilling them. "If this is your plan to forget him, we both know it isn't going to work."

How long he's known, Loki's unsure, but it's given that he of all people would notice that the step-brother Loki loathed suddenly became tolerable in all his touching and talking. Maybe before Natasha knew, Victor did, but that didn't ever stop Victor from pursuing Loki. Though he may like Thor, Loki is the only one in SHIELD or perhaps even New York City that reminds Victor of how human he truly is.

Loki hums and starts to sway again. "Does it even matter to you?"

"I wasn't expecting to find you two like this."

Victor drops his hands, and Loki steps away from him as Erik looks them over, brow furrowed.

Loki's never been the object of one of Erik's disapproving glares, and it intensifies that heat in his gut where his primal instinct does not differentiate between Thor, Victor, or Erik.

His suit, light gray with a purple tie, grips to his lean but muscled body like those pants and turtlenecks he's always wearing, and Loki blinks and bites the tip of his tongue. He lifts an eyebrow and turns, and Loki follows, compelled to by appreciation for Erik Lehnsherr.

Erik dismisses the giggling students away from the refreshments and pours a glass from the imitation wine bottle which he eyes with distaste and hands it to Loki before pouring one for himself. "Alexander Pierce and I met after school today. I haven't spoken to the man since I came here, but he came into my classroom and asked me if I would be your advocate for this big move you made."

"And you said yes, right?"

"Yes, I said yes. I was the first he asked, and I'm sure McCoy was next. I spared you from that."

A remix of "Love at First Sight" is playing.

"He showed me your new schedule," Erik says. "I think it's good for you."

Loki's unfulfilled potential won't be so unfulfilled now.

Loki takes a drink as Erik finishes his and goes to leave, and he calls for Erik to wait and grabs his bicep. "Have you seen Thor?"

Erik inclines his head, eyes behind Loki, and Loki turns.

Thor, a descended god among peasants, stares at him, and never will a simple black tuxedo adorn a man so divine.

Loki should flee in the other direction and dance so long and hard that he tires enough to forget Thor's existence, but he finishes the remnants of his drink and saunters to him with the confidence he has but isn't so sure of because Thor has made him an irrational wreck of wants and feelings.

Thor murmurs something to the girl hobbling on one foot and clinging to his arm attempting to fix her shoe, and she says, loudly, "Oh, your Thor's boyfriend-brother."

"Step-brother," Loki says, and she nudges Thor in the ribs.

"If you didn't have a dick and Jane didn't look so hot wearing my underwear, I'd be all over that," she says, patting Thor's arm as she puts her other foot down.

"Darcy Lewis, Jane's girlfriend," Thor says, and Loki isn't surprised that Jane would elect for someone taller but equally as obnoxious. "Darcy, you should go find Jane. I'm sure she wants a dance before the night is over."

"I get it, Odinson. Gotta have some quality time with the SO and get ready for the private after party your bedroom, right?" Darcy, fortunately, doesn't continue and goes to find her beloved Jane Foster, leaving the two of them alone.

Thor smiles briefly. "You look… beautiful."

"You do too."

Loki, Loki Laufeyson doesn't get tongue-tied. He makes others go tongue-tied with what he says, and if he were to ever go tongue-tied, it wouldn't be after a mundane compliment from Thor though said in a wondrous voice.

"Warren claims that he saw you 'get down.' I hoped I would get the chance to see you dance myself. Your yoga doesn't really count as dancing even though I've seen how flexible it's made you."

"You've seen how I can move my hips too."

Thor's eyes trail down him and away. He can look as long as he pleases.

Loki wants him to.

"When are you leaving?"

"Sunday morning," he replies. That is if he wants to come, and Nál's invitation while open has a deadline, one far enough away that Loki can cleanly inform his uncle that he's remaining here if he chose to do so.

If Thor and only Thor were to ask him to stay, he would choose to do so.

"You should know that Victor and I aren't going to dinner afterward," Loki says. "Victor and I aren't going anywhere together."

"Good." Thor holds out his hand. "Dance with me." He chuckles, and Loki bites back a smile of his own. "Please."

Thor doesn't need to grovel or ask twice for Loki to take the offered hand, toughened skin fitting against his where Loki knows it should be, heart lines that trace the expanse of Thor's palm hidden under his own flitting in Loki's mind, and his hand in Thor's, it's all so familiar, and… Loki doesn't mind.

He doesn't mind at all.

They don't go far, simply far enough to avoid the tables and loiterers, and Thor takes his other hand.

"So, how does the great Thor Odinson dance?"

Thor pulls him in close, and the fresh, rich aroma that is him slips inside Loki and obliterates everything else as anything Thor-related seems to do. "Like this," he says, and they're moving with each other to the steady pulse of the music, hands intertwined in the little space between their bodies.

He wants Thor closer, impossibly so, and Thor may never be close enough.

What an odd problem Loki never thought he'd have.

Thor purses his lips, amused. "What?"

"Please." He's that Thor sees him roll his eyes. "When couples act all cutesy like that, I wretch. Ask me an actual question, and if I want to answer it, I will."

They've stopped dancing.

"'Couple?'"

If only the drinks were alcoholic so Loki would have something to blame.

"You… know what I meant."

"I know what I hope you meant, but with you, I never really know." Thor looks down at him without amusement, and Loki doesn't look away because he never cedes ocular defeat. "I'm in love with you, and I've told you this. I've never been in love with anyone else like I'm in love with you, and I've never wanted—needed to be with someone else like I need to be with you. I know that you're wary, but Loki, I will never hurt you, and if I ever somehow did, I'd do anything to make it better."

Maudlin and rife with clichés yet Loki's heart races.

"Loki, be my—"

"Thor."

Be his what? Anything Thor asks, the answer is yes with those eyes.

Thor stops in favor of acknowledging Luke and the sobbing, dejected Robert under his arm. "What happened?"

"He and Lindy"—Robert sobs harder, hair falling in his dangling face, and Luke ruffles his hair—"they're over. Bob's not in any shape to stay here in the same 50 mile radius as her. I'd appreciate it if you dropped us off at mine. Then, you can come back, and do your thing."

Curse Thor and his compassion and loyalty, and curse whatever made Robert's relationship end because if it hadn't Thor would've asked his question uninterrupted. Thor nods and releases Loki's hands, leaving them uncomfortably cold. "Yeah, come on."

Their eyes meet, and Thor looks like he wants to kiss Loki as much as Loki wants to kiss him, but Thor, ever so thoughtful for his friends, decides against it and merely draws a hand down his arm.

"We'll talk later," he says, and when is later, Loki wonders, for they don't have time to wait.

They have now, this night, and dealing with friend's breakups does not take a single night.

In another universe where's his not straight but selfish and sensible, Loki grits his teeth and demands that Thor choose between his friends and him and gets what he wants.

Thor's compassion has infected him.

"Hey, Loki." Gray suit sans neckwear, Clint dances up to Loki with a sharp-eyed blonde in his arm, and wherever Natasha may be this night, she'd be indignant to know a great betrayal to her unfolds before Loki's eyes. "Now that is what I'd buy if I had a few thousand dollars laying around. After I, you know, bought a water ski. I bet that's what rich people do, ride water skis in designer suits."

"Good thing you don't have a few thousand dollars laying around," the girl, Bobbi, says, glancing down at the shorter Barton with the affection Natasha's only shown him in fleeting moments when not many others are around. "But Barton's right. Really like the tux. Reminds me of walking past those uppity stores on Madison Ave."

Natasha's sultry where Bobbi is not, and if Barton has any sort of sense, he'll remain with what he has because the grass is duller on the other side of his fence.

"You seen Stark around? Guy went full 80s drug lord, shiny suit, the slick back, and the crazy tinted aviators. Poor Steve has his nice navy tux on, and Tony Montana's his date. Better off going with Barnes."

"But they look good together," Bobbi says, and Clint shrugs a shoulder.

The music stops and so does everyone on the dance floor.

In front of the DJ, Victor presides over the lot of them, comically regal. "For the unfortunately unaware, I'm Student Body President Victor von Doom. With 20 minutes remaining of the night, it's time to crown SHIELD's Ice Emperor and Empress." He pauses to complete silence, and even from back here, Loki can see the smirk.

Gwen stands beside a platter of two crowns at Victor's side.

Oh joy, it's time for the school-sanctioned popularity contest.

"4,376 votes were cast for 254 different SHIELD students, and from those 254 students, 20 held over 63% of the votes." Victor is quite the fan of dramatic pauses.

"Who'd you vote for? I went for Wilson and Gamora. It'd be the funniest stuff ever if they won. She'd tell us all to fuck off, and Wilson would do Wilson.," Barton whispers.

Loki was part of the 158 who couldn't be bothered. "Hm, me too."

"The Ice Emperor for the 2012-2013 SHIELD Winter Formal is Steven Rogers."

Applause and cheers erupt and the spotlight descends somewhere in the crowd, following the path of the barely visible blond head.

Steve ascends the stairs, grinning bashfully, and Gwen hands him a staff before Steve ducks his head to accept the crown. He nods at Victor as he takes a place at his side, and perhaps it's the distance, but Victor does not tower over Steve, and Gwen in heels cannot easily see over Steve's head.

"The Ice Empress for the 2012-2013 SHIELD Winter Formal is Susan Storm," Victor says, and the malice in his voice is quite evident.

More suited for queendom than a school formal, Susan came expectant, and coincidentally she and Steve's navy blue coordinates quite well.

Victor holds up a hand and silence resumes. "In 15 minutes, the SHIELD 1 building will be closed, so it's expected that within that window, you all make your own ways out before you're forcibly removed. Enjoy your remaining time here, and I will see you all upon our January 2nd return."

"You going to Stark's after-party?" asks Barton, Bobbi's hand on his wrist.

"Maybe."

If he can't talk to Thor then he can get drunk enough to forget him. Stark promised an infinite opportunity for teenage inebriation that Loki might not pass up.

The DJ in an accent ruefully familiar of people and places long behind him shouts that the night isn't yet over and plays louder, heavier house that Loki declines to dance to when Barton and Bobbi ask.

He asks Foggy and Matt Murdoch—as the blind boy who complimented him earlier introduces himself—to inform Victor that he's found his own way home.

"Loki." Steve, with staff and crown in hand, makes his way for the exit, Bucky and Sharon Carter close behind, and no, it wasn't a mere trick of the eye but Steve and Bucky are nearly level. "Ya headed to Tony's party?"

"I suppose. I didn't take you for a partier, Rogers."

"I'm not but Tony serves nonalcoholic drinks there and has a real nice collection of the classics. _The Great Dictator_, _Citizen Kane_, all them. After all that dancing, it's good to lay back and relax."

Charles is holding open the door to the stairwell and says, "You look quite extravagant, Loki. I hope to see you at our shop over the holidays," and Loki nods in return.

"Because you're the dancing machine," Bucky says. "We all know I out-danced you tonight, Mr. Ice Emperor. Ask Carter. She could hardly keep up."

"It was you who asked me to take a break for a drink, Barnes," Sharon replies. "And you both kept complaining so much about the music that I'm surprised you didn't both sit down."

"Well, Tony convinced me that the melody in some of them weren't all that bad, and Buck just can't pass up an opportunity to show off his good he thinks he can fight. Looks pretty funny on the dance floor."

"Now, now, Steve, you make sound like I'm always looking for a fight…"

Sparse crowds of students gather on the walkway behind SHIELD, a few of SHIELD's security guards stood in the snowy shadows of the few trees.

His arms around James and Pepper's shoulders, Stark's breaking the chatter with his overloud voice and laughter, and James and Pepper aren't laughing so much but smiling along.

Tony drops his arms from the two of them and saunters up to them. "Hey, Loki, looking good," he says, "but damn is that boy beside you something else. Oh, wait, that's Steve. Easy mistake with how sexy—"

Steve yanks the sunglasses off of Tony's face, and Tony blinks slowly. Now at Tony's height, it's as if Steve is taller than him. "How many drinks have you had?"

"What—Steve, I haven't—look, I—"

"No, you look, Tony. You promised me you were done with this. You told me you were 'good at looking all day but not touching.' You said that freshman year was behind you and that you were done with that crap." Steve shoves Tony's sunglasses onto his collar, and Tony flinches. "You promised me."

"I promised you that I was good, Steve, and I am. I just had a little of what Wilson had leftover, and Steve, he had a lot. Like a whole bottle full." Stark holds up defensive hands. "I had like three fingers max, and you know I can hold my liquor. Three fingers is like none at all, just enough for some courage."

Courage to do what, Stark?

Steve shakes his head. "That's how it all starts, Tony, and I'm not going to watch this time."

It's quite pitiful to watch Stark uselessly grab for Steve around Barnes and even more uselessly resist getting tugged backward by James as Steve and company continue onward toward the dormitories.

James removes the keys from Tony's pocket and says that he and Pepper will go start Tony's car. "You coming?" he asks Loki, and Loki nods because what better way to get to Stark's party than with Stark.

Not that Stark will be driving, because with how Stark's shoes hit the pavement, three fingers of Wade Wilson's illicit tuxedo tequila is enough to penetrate the sobriety of a seasoned drinker like him.

"So, Tony Stark needed a little liquid courage to finally face Steve Rogers. That turned out well."

"Yeah, guy's like a Chihuahua when he's tired. Had to get myself prepared for a night of juggling that and a bunch of horny teenagers trying to get my guest room sheets sticky. Steve wouldn't understand."

"You know what I'm getting at, Stark," Loki says. "And it's not sticky sheets."

Tony kicks at snow salt. "Sorry, I'm not all that well-versed in your mind games. Might have to spell it out for me when I'm a little more sober."

"You're 'tell jokes more stupid than usual' buzzed, Stark, not 'fall down and vomit' drunk. Steve may not see the difference, but I do. When he's calmed down and you've explained yourself properly, he'll be flattered that the unshaken was, in fact, shaken."

He and Tony stop in the blind spots of the outside lights, Stark's eyes glassy in the moonlight.

"I've been playing this night in my head for years, alright? It used to be me with Emma Frost or Hansen or van Dyne, but they were just trophies. They were trophies when I messed around with them. Placeholders, stuff to keep my mind occupied while I waited for this night to come, and I'd leave them with some other guy and walk around SHIELD with Steve. Maybe in the snow. Maybe not.

"But it'd be just me and him, and I'd go, 'Steve, you know how I used to say me and you were just the kind of friends who could feel each other up and go back to normal the next day because we were just friends and you were straight and good and better than me? Well, I was lying my ass off because I wished we didn't go back to normal the next day, and I don't ever want to go back to normal again because I—because we're pretty good together.'"

"Because you love him."

"Because I do love him, Steven Grant Rogers, and his baby blue eyes and his blond hair that he does all old-timey and his smile and how he goes, 'Tony,' anytime I do anything he doesn't want me to but secretly thinks it's hilarious. I got better for Steve, so I could be good enough for him, and I've been showing him that. Emma was there to keep the status quo while I got my shit together, but this, tonight, was going to be the end of that. I just needed a drink, one drink, to keep my shit together, and I'd have Steve at the end of it."

There's an hour left for tonight.

Stark draws his hands over his face. "When Steve asked me out, I knew, you know, I knew he loved me back. I was so fucking excited that I told Jarv, and Jarv congratulated me one finally coming to my senses. I've been oblivious that Steve loves me, Loki, but now I've fucked it up. There goes my present to future me."

"Future Tony Stark won't have a hangover, so that should make you feel marginally better."

"Yeah, those suck. Hung over and heartbroken, killer combination. Do not recommend."

As Stark, Pepper, and James sing along to sappy Daft Punk, Loki pulls his phone from his pocket and composes a text to Thor.

_'I doubt we'll get to actually finish a conversation before I leave, but I'm in love with you, and I'm not afraid of that. There was never really a charade to test your patience either because I only want to be with you, Thor.'_

_'Both in and out of bed_.'

Jarvis greets them at the door to a seemingly empty house and says that a few hundred people are already downstairs.

Tony goes for the staircase upstairs and shouts over his shoulder, "Enjoy yourselves. I don't pay to impress strangers, you hear?"

"You might wanna keep a closer eye than usual on Tony, J," James says, and Jarvis holds up a tablet tuned to video feeds, one of which shows Stark traversing an upstairs hallway.

"I'm always one step ahead, Mr. Rhodes."

In the ambient lights and projector screen reflection, bodies sprawl over any of the surfaces available and not, a thick cloud of unnatural atmosphere lingering above them, and in their hands and at their mouths, plastic red cups galore.

Loki's seen this movie multiple times with Hollywood actors in the SHIELD students' places.

He goes for the shoulder to shoulder packed bar where none other than Wade Wilson, conduit for Stark's seeming downfall, slides beers down the counter and fills martini glasses with bright colored, umbrella topped cocktails.

"Martini for the fruitiest fucker alive," Wade declares as he jams an umbrella in a drink and shoves it at Osborn beside Loki. His suit, vibrant red and patched black in places, fits so well. "Loki Laufeyson, what can Mr. Wilson do you for? By the way, like the tux. D&G or burst, amirite?"

Of course Wade would know that.

"Hm, thank you." He scans the shelves of bottles behind Wade. "Absinthe."

He'll make Wilde proud.

"Oh, ho, ho, we've got ourselves a real trooper here. Now, Wade hasn't gotten many interesting requests tonight, but he can count on you for coming out of fucking left field. Now, an absinthe for Loco Loki."

Osborn sips his absinthe and stares at Loki. "Found the first person who's going to skinny dip this year."

"Don't get too excited, Osborn. I know you've only got glimpses in the locker room, but you're going to have to keep fantasizing to fill in the rest."

"Me fantasize about you? Nah, you're way too pale, and your hair's too long. I'd be for it if I was gay alright, but you're not my top choice. You carry yourself too well. Not awkward enough."

Wade pours drinks in rapid succession down the bar and runs back to Loki with a glass in hand.

"Who's your top choice? Tanned, short hair, and awkward."

Parker claps both hands on Harry's shoulders, smile ever so dopey, and how the gods love themselves a great coincidence.

Osborn tries to shrug Peter's hands off. "Pete, get off me."

"We were actually just talking about you, Parker. Your friend here was telling me that while he'd fuck me if given the chance—who wouldn't—he would rather fuck—"

"Shut the fuck up, Loki. Come on, Pete. He's talking crazy," he says, and indignant, he grabs onto Peter's jacket collar and leads him away.

"One absinthe prepped with sugar and water for Laufey's dearest son."

With a stiff nod of thanks, Loki takes his drink and finds himself a corner to sit in undisturbed. The parties Sigyn dragged him off to were few and far between, but Loki would prefer to grab a drink and avoid talking to any people because Loki's not so fond of them.

He checks his phone thrice, maybe six times for a reply that's never there.

Thor is probably too busy consoling Robert to think that he should perhaps check his phone for any possible texts from people such as Loki.

Notably Loki.

The burn down his throat fades as the blurry line drops lower and lower into his glass until there is no line save for that of the glass' bottom.

Thor is no closer to being forgotten.

Peter Quill takes the space beside him with a beer in his hand and a lopsided smile, and Loki leans on his arm and squints at the pipe chewing Leonardo DiCaprio onscreen as Peter gestures and talks about this extraordinary something that occurred on SHIELD's paintball team—of course they have one—last year.

Loki supposes that when he and Nál return, Thor can finish his sentence, but a lot can change in a day let alone five or six.

If Loki isn't here for Christmas, how can he see Thor's face when he opens the Sigur Rós ticket?

"Whoa, you alright?" Peter asks, and Loki nods as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "You gonna puke or something because I can get someone to take you to a bathroom. Or you can do it over there on the ground. Stark's got maids and stuff."

"I can't go to Umea."

"Um, alright. Don't know where that even is but—."

He steps over the dangling limbs and runs for the stairs. He must tell Nál that he can't go to Umea, and since he can't go to Umea, he can see Thor open the ticket.

He can tell Thor how he feels.

It's all so genius.

Tomorrow then he'll tell Thor that he isn't Stark and doesn't need liquid courage to admit to him that the normal they had after that football game Thanksgiving is the normal that Loki wants forever.

"Mr. Laufeyson, if you'd wait just a moment, I'll call you a cab," Jarvis says, but Loki declines and bids him a goodnight.

Down the stairs, through the late to show up, Loki—

Hot hands to his shoulders still him.

Thor.

"Be my boyfriend."

The air is ice to his skin, but Thor thaws him.

"Yes." Thor's lips are soft and warm, and Loki has to breathe. "Yes. Anything."

Thor's arms are all encompassing and the air, the ground, they become Thor and it's as if there is nothing else but his firm chest to Loki's cheek and the arms holding him close.

"How many drinks have you had?" Thor asks, and he's smiling down at Loki, chuckling.

"Just one and I couldn't be more sober now." He kisses the divot of Thor's collar bone, tasting the skin there, and Thor is his, only his. "So when we have sex, know that I'm going to remember every second of it as I have time and time again, except I'll know what it feels like to feel you and only you inside me."

Thor takes a breath. "Gods, Loki, that's…"

Thor's pulling him and stuffing him into his car, and Loki laughs and takes his hand as he speeds away from the curb.

"Go to Nál's," he says. "The walls are soundproof."

Loki lays a hand on the top of Thor's thigh for leverage he doesn't need as he shakily taps in the address, and Thor's muscles are steel under his fingers, flexed at the corner of Thor's jaw as his eyes dart from the pesky traffic that's seemingly spawned to slow them down to Loki, unabashedly admiring his boyfriend.

Thor is his boyfriend.

There's little finesse in their fumbling with the key in Nál's lock and the ensuing struggle to slip their hands under all those clothes and not cry out in frustration when the bespoke shirts are more of a hindrance. Nál's down the hall, and soundproof walls or not, Loki won't have him come from his room to ruin this.

He locks the door behind him and remains pressed there to watch Thor cast away his jacket, beams of moonlight shining on the sun-kissed skin that's not unfortunately covered.

If there are gods, one's about to fuck Loki.

Loki drops to his knees and pulls Thor's pants down with him, boxers and all.

He licks his lips once and leans forward, taking as much of Thor into his mouth as he can, and the groan Thor lets out urges him onward until only the circle of his index finger and thumb separate him from the base of blond, something dark, masculine and oh so very _Thor_ filling his nostrils.

He shifts on his knees, gasping at the friction of his pants against him.

Thor's fingers curl into his hair, insistent yet not forceful, and Loki begins to move his mouth and hand, stroking in rhythm with the litany of low praises that Loki can almost feel vibrate down through Thor. He glances up at the shadowed eyes watching him, and he could do this for Thor forever.

"God—Loki." Thor gasps, nudging the back of Loki's throat and nearly gagging him, and Loki stills Thor's hips with sheer determination and pulls off Thor entirely. The confused, helpless sound that leaves Thor's lips brings Loki to his feet with a smirk.

Thor's eyes are more black than blue.

"You can't cum yet." He blinks, eyelashes brushing over Thor's cheek, and licks his lips, Thor's eyes tracking his tongue. "You're not inside me."

He's pinned onto his back, and Thor leers down at him. He feels where Thor presses against his trousers, feels the trail of wet he left from Thor's inner thigh to his crotch when he flipped them. He wraps his legs around Thor's waist, and moans at the pressure, arching his back beneath him.

Thor rips his shirt open, and oh gods, the deep valleys and sharp angles of his stomach aren't any more a trick of the shadows now then they never have been.

He lets his head lull back as he rolls his hips, fingers gripping at the sheets. "Get me out of these clothes now."

Thor tears his pants and boxers down the inseam, leaving them as two separate halves on Loki's legs, and not a drop of blood exists outside of his cock at this moment.

"Oh, Thor, please." He tilts his head up and meets Thor's smoldering eyes, watching as Thor rubs his fingers along the tip and collects the gathering precum, and his head falls back onto the pillow, heart racing in his ears.

Thor's teeth scrape blunt and teasing along his collar bone as two fingers push and rub at Loki, slightly slick.

"I've been thinking about me leaving for Christmas," he says, biting his lip. "I realized I didn't want to spend it somewhere else."

His fingers slip inside with a beautiful burn, and Loki seeks purchase on Thor's shoulders, gripping them hard for grounding he needs. Thor drags his shirt up and takes one of his nipples between his teeth, Loki gritting his own.

"You're going to stay for me?"

He nods, and those fingers crook, almost there. "Yes. Just for you."

Loki's hips are tilted up, and Thor's head disappears between his legs, and Loki keens as Thor's tongue touches him there. He chances a glance down and sees Thor's tongue dance around his two fingers, the warm-wet and burn curling low in his gut.

Thor stares at him with dark eyes, and Loki can't take it.

"Thor—"

Thor yanks his fingers out and leaves Loki empty for only an instant before he is pressing inside, stretching Loki, filling Loki, needing Loki.

His head falls to the side as he gasps for air, Thor continuing to slide inside of him—and how is there more? There can't be more, but there is—until he is pressed against Loki, skin to skin. He's full, so full, and it's perfect, completely perfect.

"I love you, _älskling_," Thor says, and Loki moans because words are lost to him.

Thor's hands are firm under Loki's knees as he begins to thrust into him, and he hits that spot inside of Loki each and every time, and Loki screams and keens each and every time.

He pants, his hair sticking to his forehead, and grips onto the sides of the bed which only makes Thor go harder, faster. He wants more, needs more. "I was so hard, Thor. Gods, s-seeing you h-hit him and punch him, I almost ca—"

His vision blanks as Thor thrusts deep, impossibly so, and Loki feels as though he is going to explode into a million pieces before he finds himself in the world again, reality rushing in as his climax rushes out. He shrieks, and his body collapses into a singularity of Thor-prompted bliss, limbs tensing and back bowing as sounds, incomplete fragments of words, continue to leave his mouth.

Inside, he is flooded with warm-wet, and everything assaults him at once: Thor's groan, the stretch, the burn up his spine, Thor's tight grip, Thor's slowing thrusts. His body recoils from Thor, but Thor follows him backward, remaining buried deep inside of Loki. His legs try to close, but Thor keeps them open, and Loki means to inhale but whimpers instead, chest heaving.

Too much, it's too much.

"You're so beautiful like this."

That's such a Thor thing to say.

The loss of Thor is followed by a warm, creamy rush that Loki gasps at, and Thor chuckles and disappears to leave Loki with his knees pressed together and an uncomfortable draft and burgeoning spot of wet beneath him. Thor's truly a hero of sorts when he returns bearing towels and wet cloths.

Though it is the least he can do.

"I'm glad you changed your mind about not spending the holidays with me," Thor says, grin bright but understandably tired, and Loki moves in close to his warm, sweat damp side and lies on his arm. "I was going to ask, but I didn't want to force you to do anything you didn't want."

"Like you could ever make me do anything I don't want. I realized it was beneficial to stay for other reasons beside you."

"You're allowed to be romantic, Loki. We're together now."

Hm, they are together now. Loki and Thor, Thor and Loki, boyfriends through mutual decision.

"I love you, Loki," Thor says, eyes half-lidded.

Loki hums and murmurs the same against his skin.

**Author's Note_: _**blah blah have some stuff written on AO3 I forget but roughly says the same about me writing the rest of this and trying to get it posted and tie up all lose ends and apologizing for the naffness of the original continuation after this point in the original version yadda


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